Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Historic villa / palace, 1582
Palazzo Balbi
Palace on the Canal Grande, Dorsoduro, Venice
- Within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Venice and its Lagoon”
At a glance
- Period
- Renaissance, 1582
- Style
- Renaissance architecture
- Architect
- Alessandro Vittoria
- Coordinates
- 45°26′06″ N, 12°19′37″ E
History and description
Palazzo Balbi is a palace on the Canal Grande, Venice, northern Italy. It is included in the sestiere (quarter) of Dorsoduro, to the right of Ca' Foscari. Currently it is the seat of the President of the Veneto region and of the regional council.
It was built from 1582, under design by Alessandro Vittoria as the residence of the Venetian patrician family of the Balbi. In the 19th century it was acquired by Michelangelo Guggenheim and later by the Adriatic Electric Society. It became a property of the Veneto region in 1971.
Description
The palace has two floors, over a double-height rusticated basement with a mezzanine and entresol, in a symmetrical façade on the Grand Canal.
The ground floor has a large portal in the center featuring a mascaron and tympanum; there are two minor entrances at the sides. The two ashlar upper floors are divided into three sectors by Ionic and Corinthian pilasters and separated horizontally by a wide entablature. In the center are triple mullioned windows featuring paired Doric columns and parapets. Between the first-floor windows are the coat-of-arms of the Balbi family. It is the first Palazzo in Venice featuring the window decoration of the interrupted tympanum.
In a frieze under the dentilled cornice are small oval windows in elaborate stone frames. On the top are two obelisk-shaped pinnacles, similar to those in the Palazzo Belloni Battagia.
The interior contains 18th-century frescoes by Jacopo Guarana.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Palazzo Balbi».
Timeline
- 1582Built
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
Venezia Santa LuciaTrain, nearest
800 m as the crow flies
Palazzo Balbi
San Tomà "B"100 m
Aeroporto Marco Polo di Venezia7.8 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore historic villas and palaces in Veneto
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Palazzo Balbi?
Palazzo Balbi is in Venice, in the province of Venezia (Veneto), Italy. GPS coordinates: 45.43502, 12.32705.
How old is Palazzo Balbi?
Wikidata dates it to 1582.
What else is there to see near Palazzo Balbi?
Nearby you’ll find: Palazzo Caotorta Angaran (0 m away), Ca' Masieri (0 m away), Palazzo Civran Grimani (0 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Palazzo Balbi (Venice) — Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo Balbi Ca' Masieri Canal Grande Venezia — This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message. This image is not in the public domain. Please respect the copyright…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo Balbi Canal Grande Venezia — This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message. This image is not in the public domain. Please respect the copyright…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo Balbi in volta de canal3 — Alma Pater, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo Balbi, Venice (23917740428) — Dimitris Kamaras from Athens, Greece, CC BY 2.0
- Palazzo balbi — Abxbay, Public domain
- Venezia Palazzo Balbi R02 — Marc Ryckaert, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Balbi IMG 4022 — Deror avi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ca' Balbi Venedig — Freddo213, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences