Gritti Palace, on the banks of the Grand Canal opposite the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and near St. Mark’s Square, was built in 1475 by Andrea Gritti, who intended it as a home for his family. Gritti later became the city’s doge, and the palace went on to serve as the residence of the Vatican’s ambassador to the city, then of particularly privileged aristocratic families such as the wealthy Pisani family, and later the Gritti family once again. In the mid-19th century, it became a hotel and hosted, among others, the renowned British art critic John Ruskin, who wrote his book ‘The Stones of Venice’ there.
The palace underwent extensive renovation, with meticulous attention to preserving the spirit of the 17th and 18th centuries: a chandelier made with 300-year-old crystals, gilded and ornate ceilings, enormous four-poster beds where Casanova loved to celebrate, and windows overlooking boats cruising along the Grand Canal or the magnificent basilica, recalling all the sins these rooms conceal…
Lovers of Venetian marble may feel they have arrived in heaven. Marble appears in the heavy reception desk, the lobby and the corridors, and simply explodes in wild extravagance in the suites’ bathrooms.
The height of pleasure: breakfast on the hotel’s open-air terrace, facing the canal, the basilica and Venice’s blue-gray skies.
Gritti Palace — official website
The verdict: Caress the marble and dream of Casanova.
Archive article, originally published in Cigar on April 5, 2021. Descriptions and services reflect the original publication.
