Palazzo dei Camerlenghi
Encyclopedia
Palazzo dei Camerlenghi is a Renaissance
palace in Venice
, northern Italy
, located in the sestiere
(quarter) of San Polo
. It faces the Canal Grande, near the Rialto Bridge
.
and Pietro Lombardo
. It was the seat of several financial magistrates, including the Camerlenghi whom it takes its name from, the Consuls of the Traders and the Supra-Consuls of the Traders. Due to this function, the lower floor was used as a jail for the insolvents: the location nearby the crowded Rialto Bridge served as an admonition for the people passing there.
The palace currently houses the regional seat of the Italian Comptroller and Auditor General
.
s, divided by false columns and decorated with friezes. There were once polyhcrome marble and porphyry slabs, now lost.
Due to the Venetian tradition that, when leaving the position, a magistrate would leave a religious-themed painting and a portrait in his former seat, the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi housed numerous artworks. These were dispersed during the French occupation
; some returned to Venice, but are now in other locations.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
palace in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, located in the sestiere
Sestiere
A sestiere is a subdivision of certain Italian towns and cities. The word is from sesto, or sixth; and is thus used only for towns divided into six districts. The best-known example are the sestieri of Venice, but Ascoli Piceno, Genoa, Milan and Rapallo, for example, were also divided into sestieri...
(quarter) of San Polo
San Polo
San Polo is the smallest of the six sestieri of Venice, northern Italy, covering 86 acres along the Grand Canal. It is one of the oldest parts of the city, having been settled before the ninth century, when it and San Marco formed part of the Realtine Islands...
. It faces the Canal Grande, near the Rialto Bridge
Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo.- History :...
.
History
The palace was built from 1525 to 1528 under design by Guglielmo dei Grigi, who was inspired by the style of Mauro CodussiMauro Codussi
Mauro Codussi was an Italian architect of the early-Renaissance, active mostly in Venice. The name can also be spelt Coducci. He was one of the first to bring the classical syle of the early renaissance to Venice to replace the prevalent Gothic style.Born near Bergamo about 1440, he is first...
and Pietro Lombardo
Pietro Lombardo
Pietro Lombardo was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect; born in Carona , he was the father of Tullio Lombardo and Antonio Lombardo....
. It was the seat of several financial magistrates, including the Camerlenghi whom it takes its name from, the Consuls of the Traders and the Supra-Consuls of the Traders. Due to this function, the lower floor was used as a jail for the insolvents: the location nearby the crowded Rialto Bridge served as an admonition for the people passing there.
The palace currently houses the regional seat of the Italian Comptroller and Auditor General
Comptroller and Auditor General
Comptroller and auditor-general is the abbreviated title of a government official in a number of jurisdictions, including the UK, the Republic of Ireland, India, and China....
.
Description
The palace has a pentagonal plan which follows the shore of the Canal Grande, with three floors. It has tall windows with centringCentring
Centring , or centering , is the structure upon which the stones of arches or vault are laid during construction. Once the arch is complete, it supports itself, but until the keystone is inserted, it has no strength and needs the centring to keep the voussoirs in their correct relative...
s, divided by false columns and decorated with friezes. There were once polyhcrome marble and porphyry slabs, now lost.
Due to the Venetian tradition that, when leaving the position, a magistrate would leave a religious-themed painting and a portrait in his former seat, the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi housed numerous artworks. These were dispersed during the French occupation
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional statutes:...
; some returned to Venice, but are now in other locations.