Palazzo Michiel dalle Colonne

Brief Information

The name Palazzo Michiel dalle Colonne is explained not by an owner, but by the lower level: the palace has preserved its original loggia with columns. These columns matter more than the long succession of family names, because they reveal the building’s earliest appearance on the Grand Canal.

The palazzo may have been built by the Grimani family in the 13th century; later it was rebuilt, extended upward, and renamed. The Michiel family added a third floor, and in the 20th century the palace first became “Ca’ Littoria” for Fascist institutions, then “Ca’ Matteotti” — the Chamber of Labour, named after the murdered anti-Fascist Giacomo Matteotti. The building is therefore interesting not only for its facade: its names show how a single palace changed political meaning while remaining the same object by the canal.

What to Notice First

It is worth comparing the three levels of the facade. The lower level with the loggia and columns belongs to the early appearance and gave the palace its name; the second and third floors read differently thanks to the three-part Serlian windows, where the central opening is emphasized by the side sections. In this way, the facade shows not one moment of construction, but successive changes in the building’s height and representative character.

Another important detail is connected not with the canal, but with the entrance: in the courtyard by the well, the Grimani coat of arms is carved. It preserves the memory of the family credited with the palace’s early construction. The interior decoration also speaks of the palazzo’s later life: the stucco work is associated with the 1775 decoration for the wedding of Marcantonio Michiel and Giustina Renier. The facade, courtyard, and decor are useful to read together: each element is tied to a different function of the palace — family residence, ceremonial building, and place of private celebrations.