Palazzo Barbarigo

Originally built in the 16th century, it is distinguished by its mosaics of Murano glass applied in 1886. At the time it was owned by the proprietors of one of the glass factories, who were inspired by the exterior mosaics on the facade of St Mark's Basilica to apply those to the palace. When the mosaics were installed, the then new owners were decried by their more aristocratic neighbours as nouveaux riches, and their taste garish and out of keeping with the genteel decay of the neighbouring buildings. However, it should be remembered that many of the Renaissance palazzi on the canal were once too covered in polychrome and gilt decorations, with elaborate plaster and stucco work.

Later during the 1920s, Palazzo Barbarigo served as the headquarters of Pauly & C. – Compagnia Venezia Murano, one of the oldest glass factories in Murano. Part of the Palazzo Barbarigo is today a showroom and shop for Murano glass.

The palazzo follows the Renaissance pattern of design on three floors: an open loggia gives access to the canal surmounted by a piano nobile with open loggias and decorated columns, with a "secondo piano nobile" (secondary floor) above. The comparatively modern mosaics probably cover original windows, and obliviate the original design.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palazzo Barbarigo (Venice).

• Satellite image from Google Maps (on the south bank of the Grand Canal, just to the right of the wide north-south canal)

45.431°N 12.3306°E / 45.431; 12.3306