A family
story
The Palace was commissioned in the mid-1500s, during the transition between the Renaissance and Baroque periods, by the Bernardo family, based on the design by the Trentino architect Alessandro Vittoria. Following the arrival of the Rezzonico family in Venice and the construction of their eponymous palace, the ancestors of the current owners, almost two centuries ago, created a new Italian-style garden by demolishing a series of houses on the opposite side of the Grand Canal, thereby giving Palazzo Nani Bernardo its new and harmonious layout, which has been preserved to this day.
The history of a Venetian palace
The building features a typically Renaissance façade with remarkable compactness and regularity, divided into a ground floor, two noble floors, and an attic. Originally adorned with frescoes and decorative motifs, small fragments of these are still visible on the sides of the building. The façade, clad in white marble, is also distinguished by two 18th-century coats of arms positioned at the level of the second floor between the windows.
The Palazzo is accessed via a splendid entrance from the Grand Canal, leading to a grand main staircase that provides access to the two noble floors
Another truly remarkable feature is the rear garden, which is meticulously maintained and extraordinarily long, created during the 18th century.
In this garden, rich in history, stands the tallest palm in the city, which exceptionally survived the second worst flood since 1923, which occurred towards the end of 2019. The tide reached 187 cm above sea level, with the water coming into the garden through the water gate.