Da case-fondaco a municipio: Ca’ Farsetti e Ca’ Loredan a Venezia. From ‘Casa-Fondaco’ to Town Halls: Ca’ Farsetti and Ca’ Loredan in Venice

The essay deals with the construction history of two Venetian palaces that were reused as the city’s municipal head quarters during the 19th century, in a situation that was unique in the context of the new Italian state. Ca’ Dandolo-Farsetti and Ca’ Corner Piscopia-Loredan have parallel construction and residential histories; both were built in the 12th century as warehouses in an area of the Grand Canal near the commercial district of Rialto. The two buildings, which share the same layout, the same façade structure and almost the same dimensions, have undergone numerous changes of ownership, which have almost always coincided with interventions on the architectural structure. Furthermore, in its centuries-long history, Ca’ Farsetti was also used as the headquarters of an Accademia del Disegno in the 18th century. When they were designated as municipal headquarters in the 19th century, both buildings underwent major renovations, which, however, did not alter their interior spaces.