Palazzo Labia
Palazzo Labia is a baroque palace in Venice, in the Cannaregio district, which is located near the confluence of the Canale di Cannaregio in the Grand Canal. Built in the 17th - 18th century, it is one of the last great palaces of Venice. The decoration of the grand ballroom is a major work of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
Description
The main facade is the Canale di Cannaregio, the more modest side with only three window axis is oriented to the Grand Canal. The third facade looks at the Campo San Geremia. The relatively unknown architect, Andrea and Alessandro Cominelli Tremignon who are entrusted with the construction, are still significantly under the influence of Baldassare Longhena. The facades to the channels have a Doric rustication on the ground floor and are divided into the upper floors by Ionic and Corinthian columns. The windows are located in the balustrades and window arches different sculptures of heads. Striking the numerous crowned eagle are ( emblem of the labia ) between the oval windows below the cornice.
The façade facing the Campo San Geremia was asymmetrically enlarged at the beginning of the 18th century. The two stories created by Giorgio Massari Ballroom is located in the center of the building and has the width of the facade of the Grand Canal. Then a square courtyard is rustizierenden with double columns on the ground floor.
History
The Labia family came from Catalonia and brought it to Venice to fabulous wealth. They were the first family, according to the so-called " serrata del Maggior Consiglio " ( closing of the Great Council, 1297 ), were added for a fee of one hundred thousand ducats in 1646 in the Venetian patriciate. The magnificent palace was to emphasize the importance of the Labia family against the long-established patricians. The Tiepolofresken of the ballroom were probably commissioned by the lavish Paolo Antonio Labia in order. Of him it is said that he the golden tableware made throwing the words out of the window at the end of a banquet: " L' abia abia l' o no, saro semper L' abia " ( Whether I have it or not have, I will always be a labia ) his mother Maria labia, born Civran, a very nice woman said to have been immortalized by Tiepolo in the figure of Cleopatra.
After the fall of the Republic Labias lost their assets and eventually moved to Austria. At the beginning of the 19th century, the palace was acquired by a prince Lobkowitz, later he came into the possession of a Viennese Jewish charitable foundation, which sold the remaining inventory and aufteilte the palace into apartments. 1850 were in the Piano Nobile 50 looms, upstairs a sawmill. 1890 was the city of Venice not issue 50,000 lire for the building, even though she had already rented rooms in an elementary school. The palace had until 1951 changing owners and came down more and more. 1945 exploded in close proximity to an ammunition ship, causing the palace and Tiepolo's frescoes were damaged.
In 1948, the Franco- Mexican oil magnate Charles de Beistegui the palace and put the old shine forth again. After completion of the restoration work took place on 3 September 1951, the "Ball of the Century" in 18th century costumes instead. 1964 auctioned RAI the palace for 350 million lire and subsequently took great efforts to maintain and restore the building and its art. The rooms are provided for international conferences, etc. are available and can be visited by appointment. In 2008, the RAI offered the building to the purchase, the character should be preserved as a cultural center.
Interiors
In the ball- room 1746-1747 Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created the great cycle " story of Antony and Cleopatra ." The quadrature painting comes from Gerolamo Mengozzi Colonna. The central ceiling painting represents " Bellerophon on Pegasus ", where a mirror hall we find another ceiling painting by Tiepolo "Triumph of Zephyr and Flora". In the other rooms of the palace works by Giandomenico Tiepolo, Palma il Giovane, Giambattista Canal, Placido Costanzi, Agostino Masucci, Pompeo Batoni, Gregorio Lazzarini, Gaspare Diziani and Antonio Visentini can be found. Noteworthy are also the Flemish tapestries (Stories of Scipio )