Ca' d'Oro

About this place

The Ca' d'Oro, or Palazzo Santa Sofia, is a palace on the Grand Canal in Venice, northern Italy. Ca' d'Oro or Cadoro translates to "House of Gold" or "Golden House" in English because of the gilt and polychrome external decorations that once adorned its walls. It was designed by Marino Contarini and later restored by Baron Giorgio Franchetti. In 1927, the building was converted into a museum and since then has been known as the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro. The Ca' d'Oro has long been regarded as the best-surviving palazzo in Venetian Gothic architecture, retaining all the most characteristic features, despite some losses. Notice how the building presents itself to the surrounding streets or landscape, then compare its public and more intimate spaces. This helps explain how architecture expressed the position, resources and ambitions of the people who commissioned it.