Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo
More than 500 years have passed since Gasparo Contarini, one of the enlightened intellectuals of the 16th century, decided to build his palace in the far north of the city. One of his guiding principles was likely to have a large garden with a "Casino" (small house), in keeping with Venetian tradition, to host friends and, in his specific case, the city's intellectuals. One of the major issues of the time was the Reform of the Church, for which Gasparo fought with all his might, albeit without great success. His dream of avoiding a rift between Lutherans and Catholics was destined to remain just that, with the well-known consequences of the split of the "one" church into two distinct ones. Among the prominent intellectuals who frequented the Casino and discussed various current issues were Titian and Aretino. They were called "spirits," meaning "chosen spirits," and the (relatively) "small house" of the time is still called the "Casin dei Spiriti" (Spirit House). In popular imagination, however, the sound of the waves crashing evoked the noise made by ghosts, so the shift in meaning from "intellectuals" to "ghosts" was brief. In honor of popular tradition, the last owner, Mr. Eggs, organized parties where he required his guests, as well as the waiters and all attendees, to conform to this theme in their costumes and behavior. It was he, who cared deeply about the garden, who was forced—given the size of that space—to surrender to the impossibility of caring for it as he wished and keeping it in good condition. The sale of the original Contarini property was difficult for him, so Mr. Eggs was forced to divide it in two, and thus two different buyers became the current owners. From the main door, you can glimpse both properties: the one to the left of the entrance, known as the Casa del Cardinal Piazza, with its garden that has developed primarily as a woodland with thick, tall trees; the other, to the right, known as the Piccola Casa della Divina Provvidenza (Little House of Divine Providence), Cottolengo, developed primarily as a garden in the strictest sense, with flowers, large lawns, and scattered trees.
(by Loredana Giacomini)
Palazzo Contarini dal Zaffo
More than 500 years have passed since Gasparo Contarini, one of the enlightened intellectuals of the 16th century, decided to build his palace in the far north of the city. One of his guiding principles was likely to have a large garden with a "Casino" (small house), in keeping with Venetian tradition, to host friends and, in his specific case, the city's intellectuals. One of the major issues of the time was the Reform of the Church, for which Gasparo fought with all his might, albeit without great success. His dream of avoiding a rift between Lutherans and Catholics was destined to remain just that, with the well-known consequences of the split of the "one" church into two distinct ones. Among the prominent intellectuals who frequented the Casino and discussed various current issues were Titian and Aretino. They were called "spirits," meaning "chosen spirits," and the (relatively) "small house" of the time is still called the "Casin dei Spiriti" (Spirit House). In popular imagination, however, the sound of the waves crashing evoked the noise made by ghosts, so the shift in meaning from "intellectuals" to "ghosts" was brief. In honor of popular tradition, the last owner, Mr. Eggs, organized parties where he required his guests, as well as the waiters and all attendees, to conform to this theme in their costumes and behavior. It was he, who cared deeply about the garden, who was forced—given the size of that space—to surrender to the impossibility of caring for it as he wished and keeping it in good condition. The sale of the original Contarini property was difficult for him, so Mr. Eggs was forced to divide it in two, and thus two different buyers became the current owners. From the main door, you can glimpse both properties: the one to the left of the entrance, known as the Casa del Cardinal Piazza, with its garden that has developed primarily as a woodland with thick, tall trees; the other, to the right, known as the Piccola Casa della Divina Provvidenza (Little House of Divine Providence), Cottolengo, developed primarily as a garden in the strictest sense, with flowers, large lawns, and scattered trees.
(by Loredana Giacomini)