Palazzo Labia viewed from Cannaregio Canal.

Palazzo Labia is a baroque palace in Venice, Italy. Built in the 17th-18th century, it is one of the last great palazzi of Venice. Little known outside of Italy, it is most notable for the remarkable frescoed ballroom painted between (1746-47) by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, with decorative works in trompe l'oeil by Gerolamo Mengozzi-Colonna. For other uses, see Baroque (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, also known as Gianbattista or Giambattista Tiepolo (March 5, 1696 - March 27, 1770) was a Venetian painter and printmaker, considered among the last Grand Manner fresco painters from the Venetian republic. ... [[: Le Image:Mural de Narbonne. ...

In a city often likened to a cardboard filmset, the Palazzo is unusual by having not only a canal front, but also a visible and formal facade at its rear, coupled with a decorated side too. In Venice, such design is very rare. The palazzo was designed by the architect Andrea Cominelli (by Alessandro Tremignon according to others), the principal facade is on the Cannaregio Canal; a lesser three bayed facade faces the Grand Canal. A later facade probably designed by Giorgio Massari is approached from the Campo San Geremia. For other uses, see facade (disambiguation). ... The Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. ... Giorgio Massari (1687-1766) is a prominent late-Baroque Venetian architect. ...

The Labia

The Labia family, who commissioned the palazzo, were originally Spanish and bought their way into nobility in 1646, hence considered arriviste by the old Venetian aristocracy. The wars with the Ottamans had depleted the coffers of the Republic of Venice which then sold inscriptions into nobility, thus giving political clout. It has been said that they compensated their lack of ancestors by a great display of wealth. ^[1] Today the Palazzo Labia is the sole remaining example of this ostentation. Aristocrat redirects here. ... Borders of the Republic of Venice in 1796 Capital Venice Language(s) Venetian, Latin, Italian Religion Roman Catholicism Government Republic Doge  - 1789–97 Ludovico Manin History  - Established 697  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Treaty of Leoben April 17, 1797 * Traditionally, the establishment of the Republic is dated to 697. ... An ancestor is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an ancestor (i. ...

It is the members of the Labia family of the mid 18th century to whom the palazzo owes its notability today, it was inhabited by two brothers with their wives, children and mother. The brothers Angelo Maria Labia and his brother Paolo Antonio Labia employed Tiepolo at the height of his powers to decorate the ballroom. Employing Tiepolo seems to have been the most remarkable thing the brothers ever achieved. Angelo Maria became an Abbé, merely in order to escape the political obligations of an aristocrat of the Republic. Curiously his holy employment did not prevent him marrying. His wife however was a commoner, which indicates an almost morganatic status to the marriage. Angelo's chief interests were constructing a marionette theatre, which concealed real singers behind its scenes. The marionettes often performed satirical plays which Angelo wrote himself. In later life he failed to endear himself to Venetian society by becoming an informer to the dreaded inquisition. His younger brother Paolo, married conventionally into the old Venetian aristocracy, a class prepared to except the Labia's money and hospitality if not equality. Paolo too never assumed any public duties. It appears that it was their mother, Maria Labia, who was the intellectual driving force of the family, in her youth a great beauty, she was painted by Rosalba Carriera. The French traveller and social commentator Charles de Brosses reported that in old age she had a lively wit, flirtatious nature and possessed the finest collection of jewels in Europe. This collection was also portrayed in some of Tiepolo's work in the palazzo. A marionette is a type of puppet with strings controlled by a puppeteer from above. ... This article is about the Inquisition by the Roman Catholic Church. ... Rosalba Carriera, self-portrait 1715 Rosalba Carriera (October 7, 1675 – April 15, 1757) was a Venetian Rococo painter. ... This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ...

Design

Palazzo Labia. The Grand Canal facade to the right of the campanile, on the junction of the Cannaregio and Grand Canal Painted by Sargent

While the palazzo was begun at the very end of the 17th century it can be considered a product of the 18th century, such architects as Baldassarre Longhena had previously dominated the palazzo architecture of the city in a style exemplified by dramatic facades, rich in moulding with detached columns - a style little changed since the late renaissance. A campanile (pronounced []) is, especially in Italy, a free-standing bell tower (Italian campana, bell), often adjacent to a church or cathedral. ... Self Portrait, 1906, oil on canvas, 70 x 53 cm, Uffizi Gallery, Florence. ... Baldassarre Longhena (Venice, 1598 – Venice, 1682), was a 17th century Venetian architect, who worked mainly in Venice itself, where he was one of the greatest exponents of Baroque architecture of the period. ... Molding (US) or moulding (UK) can be: moulding or molding, a decorative feature used in interior design and architecture molding or moulding, a process used in manufacturing This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ...

Two little known architects Tremignon and Cominelli were commissioned to design the palazzo, the selection of two comparatively unknown architects is strange considering the Labia's wish to make an impression on Venetian society, however the placement of the site more than compensated any risk involved by non notable architects. The site chosen for the palazzo was the junction of the Cannaregio Canal and the Grand Canal in the parish of San Geremia, in fact the church of San Geremia was the palazzo's immediate neighbour, its campanile seemingly incorporated into the palazzo. The Cannaregio Canal is one of the most important tributaries of the Grand Canal. A campanile (pronounced []) is, especially in Italy, a free-standing bell tower (Italian campana, bell), often adjacent to a church or cathedral. ...

While like many of the other larger palazzi in Venice the Palazzo Labia is rectangular in design built around an inner courtyard, the two architects Tremignon and Cominelli broke the architectural traditions of such architects as Longhena, by designing the facades of the Palazzo Labia to be more simple and less cluttered, than those of the earlier Venetian classical palazzi, while still maintaining a baroque richness achieved through the effect of light and shadow, a second break with Venetian architectural tradition was that the new palazzo had three facades, it was common practice in Venice for only the waterfront facade to have a richness of detail, while the rear elevations were often an evolved mismatch of asymmetrical windows and styles. The new palazzo's site being at the junction of two canals, and also bordering the Campo San Geremia provided the opportunity for three facades. Hence this attention to detail of the less obvious parts of the palazzo's exterior, away from its principal water front facade, was able to provide further evidence of the Labia's vast wealth. For other uses, see Baroque (disambiguation). ...

Palazzo Labia. Alessandro Tremignon's facade facing the Campo San Gerremia. Portrayed here in the 18th century it was later extended.

The facade facing the Campo San Geremia is of equal splendour to that on the Cannaregio. The Grand Canal facade is the smaller of the three, set back from the fondamenta itself and of only three bays. The palazzo is of five floors. The ground and first floors are both low, the first being |rusticated, the next two floors are both piano nobili of equal worth, with tall curve topped windows separated by pilasters, the tall windows are fenced by balustraded balconettes. The fifth floor is a low mezzanine beneath the projecting hipped roof, here the small oval windows are divided by the heraldic eagles of the Labia family. The facade on the Campo San Geremia designed by Tremignon which hints at the more floral Venetian Gothic style contrasts to the more classical canal facades. However the Venetian Gothic is more of a subtle suggestion than defining style, the typical central recessed loggias of the piano nobili, typical features of the Venetian Gothic, are however glazed, and the roof line, unlike on the water fronts, is concealed by classical balustrading, but the repetition and placing of the fenestration continues the theme of the canal facades. For other uses of Rustication, see Rustication (disambiguation). ... Kedleston Hall. ... In architecture, pilasters comprise slightly-projecting pseudo-columns built into or onto a wall, with capitals and bases. ... A page of fanciful balusters from A Handbook of Ornament, Franz S. Meyer, 1898 A baluster (through the French balustre, from Italian balaustro, from balaustra, pomegranate flower [from a resemblance to the post], from Lat. ... View of the ground floor of the Glaspaleis from the mezzanine View of the mezzanine in the lobby of the former Capitol Cinema, Ottawa, Canada In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors... Heraldry is the science and art of describing of coats-of-arms, also referred to as achievements or armorial bearings. ...

Interior

Palazzo Labia. Tiepolo's Meeting of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra.

The double height palazzo ballroom (or Salone delle Feste) is entirely frescoed depicting scenes from the lives of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. These frescoes were a collaboration between Tiepolo and Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna. The frescos are principally of an architectural nature, featuring doorways, windows and balconies in trompe l'oeil, through the illusionary doorways and windows can be viewed the meeting of Anthony and the Egyptian Queen and Cleopatra's banquet, while from the painted balconies and upper windows members of Cleopatra's court seem to look down. It is though the models for these figures were members of the Labia's household. In a banquet scene Cleopatra is depicted dissolving a priceless pearl in a goblet of wine, this represents the Labia's position in Venetian society, Maria Labia identified herself with Cleopatra - with her great wealth and jewel collection, she too was well able to afford to dispose of pearls in such a fashion if she chose. A legend has persisted in Venice that Maria Labia herself was the model for Cleopatra, but no documentary evidence exists to support the claim. The Death of Hyacinth Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (March 5, 1696 - March 27, 1770) was a Venetian painter. ... For other people named Marc Anthony or Mark Anthony, see Mark Anthony. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other people named Marc Anthony or Mark Anthony, see Mark Anthony. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

While Tiepolo's frescoes in the Ballroom have been described as amongst his finest in Italy, they also display Tiepolo's shortcomings as an artist. He was totally disinterested in psychology a result of this, a debate continues today concerning the depiction (illustrated right) Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, is this the meeting or the parting of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. Some experts claim they can detect a certain stiffness in Cleopatra's pose which indicate some form of farewell is intended, but opinion is strongly divided. Psychological science redirects here. ...

The remaining state rooms, built around the internal courtyard, pale in comparison to the ballroom, but this is purely because if inevitable comparison each is a masterpiece in its own right, the Green Damask Salone in addition to its sculpted fireplace of inlaid marble , contains huge frescoes, and a ceiling by Pompeo Batoni. Portrait of Charles Crowle Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787), Italian painter, was born at Lucca. ...

20th century

The Labia's wealth and power lasted until the fall of the Serene Republic in 1797. During the 19th century the Palazzo fell into decay, this also coincided with a period where Tiepolo's work was unpopular and unappreciated. In 1945 a munitions boat exploded close to the palazzo shattering its already precarious foundations, and causing fragments of the ballroom frescoes to fall to the ground.

In the latter half of the 20th century the palazzo acquired a new owner Don Carlos de Beistegui (1895-1970), heir to a Mexican silver fortune, who began an intensive restoration. Beistegui was a skilled interior decorator, and for the derelict palazzo, he purchased furnishings acquired from the palazzo's less fortunate neighbours including frescoes by Raphael, Annibale Carracci, and Guido Reni, these works of art coupled with newly acquired tapestries and antiques restored to the palazzo some of its former splendour. So avid a collector was Don Carlos that his taste became known as le goût Beistegui (the Beistegui style)." This article is about the Renaissance artist. ... Self-portrait, (Uffizi) Annibale Carracci (November 3, 1560 - July 15, 1609) was an Italian Baroque painter. ... Autoportrait Abduction of Deianira, 1620-21 Guido Reni (November 4, 1575, Calvenzano di Vergato, near Bologna - August 18, 1642, Bologna) was a prominent Italian painter of high-Baroque style. ...

In September 1951 Don Carlos threw a party at the Palazzo Labia, a costume ball - it was one of the largest and most lavish social events of the 20th century. It launched the career of the Venetian fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who designed about 30 of the costumes worn by members of the "dolce vita" who attended. Cecil Beaton's photographs of the ball display an almost surreal society, reminiscent of the Venetian life immediately before the fall of the republic at the end of the 18th century. The party was to be one of the last truly spectacular events in the famous ballroom Pierre Cardin dress, 1967 For the Canadian Minister of Transport from 1940 to 1942, see Pierre Cardin (politician). ... Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (January 14, 1904 – January 18, 1980) was an English fashion and portrait photographer and a stage and costume designer for films and the theatre. ...

Don Carlos died in 1970 leaving the palazzo in good repair, but many of newly acquired works of art to the Louvre in Paris, other bequeathed to his heir along with his French home Château de Groussay which was similarly furnished. When this collection, together with some of the Palazzo Labia's former contents was auctioned by Sotheby's in 1999 it proved to be France's largest and most highly priced auctionSale of Chateau de Groussay. This article is about the museum. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Sothebys (NYSE: BID) is the worlds second oldest international auction house in continuous operation. ... An auctioneer and her assistants scan the crowd for bidders An auction is a process of buying and selling goods by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the winning bidder. ...

Today the palazzo is no longer a private residence, but regional headquarters of RAI, Italian State television. Occasionally the ballroom is used for high ranking international conferences and summits; this room and some of the state rooms are open to public viewing by appointment. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In april, 2008 RAI has put on sale the palazzo binding it to a cultural use, as requested by Venice Municipality.

External links

• Frescoes in the Palazzo Labia by Tiepolo

Notes

References

• Sitwell; Sacheverell (1961). Great Houses of Europe. London: George Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 0-600-33843-6. 
• Haskell, Francis (1963). {{{title}}}. London: Chatto & Windus. ISBN 0-300-02540-8.