Camerlenghi Palace

The Camerlenghi Palace is a very big building so massive that it is impossible not to notice, its on the inner side of the Volta del Canal (a curve of the canal Grande ) just near the Rialto Bridge.

The camerlenghi were public officers of the Venetian Republic and were in charge to cash and distribute the financial entrance of the state. This palace was not their only site, they where also in the Zecca (mint) offices in Saint Mark’ s Square.

The palace, clearly inspired by operas of Codussi and Lombardo, was projected by Guglielmo de Grigi and edificated between 1525 and 1528 and was the site of the financial magistrate (the Camerlenghi ) The foundation in front of the palace is calle “ De la Preson” (foundation of the Prison) just because there was the prison for the insolvent debtors.

Today the palaces host the financial magistrate, (court of counts).

The architecture of the place is indeed quite weird (pentagon shape) it follow the grand canal curve. The façade was enriched with various coloured and precious marble, adequate to the important role
Of the officers and magistrate, unfortunately a large part of the decoration was lost along the yars. The windows on the grand canal side are hundreds and embellished with particular decorations.
Inside where preserved a multitude of art operas, it was tradition that every magistrate at the end of the charge left to the palace a painting of religious theme.
Those painting where lost during the Italian Reign, and only few of the were found, most of them are preserved in other palaces.

At the moment the palace is not open to the public, it’s a site of public offices, it can be admired from the “ fondamente de la preson” from Rialto Bridge or form the public boat.

The lucky ones can see it from a gondola.