Palazzo Venart — Venice, Italy

One of the greater pleasures of Venice these days is witnessing the revival of its Grand Canal frontage as one long-abandoned palazzo after the other is spruced up and repurposed for an appreciative Millennial audience.
The former Palazzo Bacchini delle Palme in the Santa Croce quarter has just emerged from an extensive two-year restoration as the 18-room Palazzo Venart. Just about every single square inch has been coaxed back into Technicolor life, the finished product a testament to the crack team of art historians and artisans, and antique experts from the Fondazione La Fenice.
The original wood and gold-leaf ceiling and terrazzo and ornate parquet floors set the scene, the restorers reimagining the Golden Age of Venice as set-pieces of silk walls, French court piano, swathes of brocade, and original tempera frescoes that are believed to have been inspired by the ones at the Palazzo Grassi.
There are modern touches, of course, not the least of which are the filigreed renderings of Venice’s emblem, the golden winged lion, and a cheerfully coloured abstract of the dome of Saint Mark’s Basilica in the hotel’s garden. In an adjoining private courtyard lined with magnolia trees, the two-Michelin starred Enrico Bartolini presides over the kitchen at Ristorante Glam, sending out regional treats like spaghetti with smoked eel and wild fennel, veal sweetbreads with local artichokes, and beetroot risotto.
ADDRESS
Santa Croce 1961
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
‘Humour is foundational’: artist Ella Kruglyanskaya on painting as a ‘highly questionable’ pursuit
Ella Kruglyanskaya’s exhibition, ‘Shadows’ at Thomas Dane Gallery, is the first in a series of three this year, with openings in Basel and New York to follow
By Hannah Silver
-
Australian bathhouse ‘About Time’ bridges softness and brutalism
‘About Time’, an Australian bathhouse designed by Goss Studio, balances brutalist architecture and the softness of natural patina in a Japanese-inspired wellness hub
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian dining
At Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in spring
Dreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
By Anna Solomon
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to Formafantasma
From baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projects
Located within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitality
As women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
By Anna Solomon
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
The best Milan bars for a fashionable aperitivo
Milan’s after-dark renaissance is evident in a new wave of design-led cocktail bars, setting the right mood for enticing aperitivos and nightcaps; Milan editor Laura May Todd recommends the best
By Laura May Todd
-
How Four Seasons Hotels became The White Lotus’ unofficial star
As The White Lotus season three whisks us to Thailand, Marc Speichert, chief commercial officer of Four Seasons Hotels, discusses the luxury group’s perfect synergy with the hit HBO series – and where you can live the experience
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
Night at the museum: the best art hotels to book now
Sleep amid surrealists at London’s Broadwick Soho, or wake up to contemporary favourites at New Hotel in Athens – indulge in an immersive art hotel experience
By Dalya Benor