Contarini Palace is one of the most important late 15th century early 16th century buildings in Venice.
The façade is entirely covered in polychrome marble and is a splendid architectural work which reveals the influence of Tuscan classicism. The noteworthy and refined bas reliefs which adorn it: eagles, once covered with pure gold leaf, alternate with a triumph of fruit and flower garlands, masks and other decorative elements.
On the other side, that which faces instead the large garden on the left, a mullioned window has been inserted.
The well ring, which can be found in the courtyard standing behind ogival arches and refined gothic sculptures, reminds us instead of the style of the former palace. The crenated enclosing wall of the same courtyard reminds us of the former gothic construction.
It would seem that the Palace was built around 1492 by the jurist Langaren who was an eminent Professor of Padua University. The palace was then bought by the Contarini del Zaffo during the half of the 16th century. They remained the proprietors for two centuries and completed its decoration.
The Contarini belonged to an important Venetian noble family which gave 8 doges, a pope and numerous ambassadors to Venice.
The Contarini sold the sumptuous palace in 1783 to Domenico Manzoni, a silk merchant. In 1805, the first floor was leased to Catarina Balbi-Angaran, following this the building passed to the Montecuccoli counts. Finally there would be numerous proprietors that would succeed during the entire XIX century.
In 1900 the building was acquired by the Princess of Polignac, born Winnaretta Singer, daughter of Isaac M. Singer the well known manufacturer of sewing- machines of the same name and aunt of the present proprietors.
She was a world renowned patron of the arts, in particular in the field of music. In the palace stayed: Stravinsky, Poulenc, Ravel, Fauré, Manuel de Falla, Erik Satie, Arthur Rubinstein, Nadia Boulanger, and Léon Paul Fargue. From some of them the noblewoman ordered compositions such as “Concert for two pianos” or the Concert for the organ” of Poulenc. Other operas instead were dedicated to her, such as “Pavane pour une infante défunte“ di Ravel.
Important artists were received at the Palace: Picasso, Diaghilev and Cocteau and just in this period Claude Monet painted several times the Palace façade which at that time was already called Contarini-Polignac. These paintings are visible at Boston and at Saint-Gall in Switzerland.
On the first noble floor can be found the marvellous Music Room (Salone della Musica) with the amazing renaissance portal in sculptured and painted wood and a pianoforte Erard from the beginning of the XX century with the monogram of the Princess of Polignac. It was she who arranged for it to arrive from Paris so that her guests could play and compose with an instrument of great quality. The adjacent Yellow Room was the guest room. There can be found a monumental French bed which originated from the sale of Beisteigi, a family which alienated Labia Palace and all the goods which were its furnishings at the end of the sixties. There is also a beautiful wardrobe made up of panels in quality woods, similar to that which can be found in the dining room and an elegant stove in majolica pottery. The main decorative elements however are the two frescoes of Giandomenico Tiepolo, originating from the Correr Palace at Santa Fosca. The other features that should not be missed are the Red Room, a comfortable and elegant ambient thanks to the Venetian silk and brocade. Here a high secrétaire piece of furniture together with some lacquered mirrors integrate with equilibrated homogeneity the style of the Palace. The Library Salone is the room which is most appreciated and lived in by the present proprietors: the Duke and the Duchesse Decazes. It is in this elegant and welcoming ambient that they receive their guests for the afternoon tea or for an aperitif.