Discover the dramatic octagonal staircase by 19th-century architect Giovanni Battista Meduna. Meduna’s Neogothic staircase is topped with a glass vault and lined with soft marble figures set in alcoves, creating an ethereal entrance to the main floor. Meduna is best known for cultural landmarks like the Ca’ d’Oro and Venice’s La Fenice theatre.

Marvel at the ornate craftsmanship decorating the Baroque-style Vittoria Ballroom. Palazzos (noble residences) were built with a grand reception level for entertaining called the piano nobile and often included a ballroom and smaller salons. The Vittoria Ballroom was originally designed for the wedding of Princess Vittoria Farnese and Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino in 1548. On the ceiling are painted 10 visionaries who shaped the history of Venice. Among these humanists, writers, architects are Aldo Manuzio, founder of the Aldine press in 1495 and Zeno Carlo, a navy admiral who secured Venetian independence in the War of Chioggia in the 14th century.

Discover the hand-painted frescoes throughout the building. Some, like the original crests of the noble families who once owned the palazzo, were restored to their original brilliance. Others, like the Etruscan-style motif in the Del Conte Suite, were designed by contemporary painters. Meticulous preservation work uncovered hues and original motifs on each wall, which were then restored or reimagined by designer Aline Asmar d’Amman to mix memory, mythology, and the past.