Palazzo Grassi
 Palazzo Grassi | |
| Built | 1748-1772 |
|---|---|
| Architect | Giorgio Massari |
| Style | Classical |
| Current Owner | Francois Pinault |
| Website | http://www.palazzograssi.it/ |
The Palazzo Grassi, built between 1748 and 1772, faces the Grand Canal in Venice’s San Marco district. The palace was designed by Venetian artist, Giorgio Massari, who strayed from his usual Baroque style to create this palace in a classical design. The palace was home to the Grassi family until 1840 and was then inhabited by a series of different owners until it was bought in 2005 by Francois Pinault. The Palazzo Grassi now holds many of Pinault’s paintings and is often the site of many art exhibitions.
Appearance
The exterior of the palace includes three stories of beautiful marble. Although he customarily worked in the Baroque style of architecture, Giorgio Massari constructed this building in the classical style. The classical style of architecture is built to resemble the styles found in Ancient Greece. The amazing façade faces the water and therefore, the main entrance to the building is a set of stairs descending into the canal.
In the interior of the palace, Massari reverted to his usual Baroque design. The most notable aspects of the interior are the grand courtyard, as well as the large hall which displays the frescos of Michelangelo Morlaiter and Francesco Zanchi.
History
Unlike many of the palaces in Venice, the Palazo Grassi was not owned by royalty or a well established family of Venice. The Grassi’s came to Venice from Bologna, Italy and they hoped to establish themselves in the society. They lived in the palace until 1840, when they were forced to sell due to financial reasons. The palace has had several different owners since then, each making their own restorations and alterations. For example, four columns were added to the entrance hall, a glass roof was added to cover the courtyard, and a theatre was built where the garden once stood. In 1983, the Flat Group bought the palace and renovated it to restore some of its original structure and turned it into a museum and art gallery. In 2005, Francios Pinault, a wealthy French businessman took over with plans to turn the palace into an even greater museum. With the help of architect Tadao Ando, he was able to reinforce many of the structures and recreate the look of the original Palazzo Grassi.
Now
The Palazzo Grassi now displays numerous paintings from Pinault's private collection, but also is the host for many temporary exhibitions. In recent years these have included a Dali retrospective, the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, and a collection of modern art inspired by Paul Gauguin. Pinault has hosted several exhibitions since he took ownership of the Palazzo Grassi. SEQUENCE, and “Where are we going?” are just two of the exhibitions displaying his collections.
See Also
References
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