Situated virtually cheek-to-noble-cheek with some of the most famous palazzi in the city – including the imposing Ca’ Rezzonico Museum of 18^th Century Venice, the Gothic Palazzo Loredan Dell’ Ambasciatore, pretty Palazzo Stern, and the Palazzo Grassi Museum of Modern Art on the opposite bank – and enjoying panoramic Grand Canal views from the Accademia Bridge (and the Views on Venice office!) to the ‘volta del canal’ beside Ca’ Foscari upstream, the Palazzo Contarini Michiel immerses 10 guests in an aura of affluence and other-worldly opulence on the Palazzo’s upper floors.

Recently remodeled with a maestro’s touch by acclaimed Art Director and Interior Design wizard Umberto Branchini, and brimming with a virtual treasure trove of oriental artefacts selected from a private collection amassed by the owner’s grandfather, an ambassador to the U.S., during his 20 year residency in Japan, this superior apartment is air-conditioned throughout and comprises:

• An entrance hallway with tall ceilings and featuring a wonderful allegorical fresco, a charming decorative Venetian Gothic fountain and a stone staircase taking the Palazzo’s guests to the very next level – in more ways than one!

• Facing Palazzo Grassi and the Church of San Samuele (where Casanova’s parents were wed and he himself was baptised) – the Piano Nobile’s L-shaped ‘salone’ with its rich abundance of period features and tall windows suffusing the room with light and opening onto a marvellous furnished terrace/’loggia’ looking over the Grand Canal. Oriental carpets cushion parquet flooring, while sumptuous Jim Thompson fabrics come into their own against a traditional Venetian backdrop of finely decorated beams, pastel-pink stuccos and a pair of 16th century Italian vine-festooned columns

• An immaculate brushed stainless steel state-of-the-art kitchen to the rear

• A grandly decorated formal dining room ably playing host to both special occasion celebrations and simple lazy lunches for up to 14 guests beneath a 17-18th century stucco ceiling by Carpoforo Mazzetti Tencalla

• A guest bathroom with w.c. & wash hand basin

• 4 luxuriously appointed bedrooms occupying the level above and comprising –
  • 2 suites each with a double bed, its own private sitting area, and an en-suite bathroom – 1 suite facing the Grand Canal with a double shower, and the other to the side of the apartment with a bathtub and separate shower
  • A double bedroom facing Ca’ Rezzonico with an en-suite bathroom with bathtub, and to the rear of the apartment –
  • A twin with an en-suite bathroom with shower

And finally on Palazzo Contarini Michiel’s very top floor –

• A cosy beamed twin offering Grand Canal glimpses, its own bathroom with bathtub (shower over), a small kitchen/pantry and a large furnished terrace enjoying a sideways outlook towards the Grand Canal beyond, while…

• A single staff bedroom with shower room and laundry rounds off the accommodation

OUR COMMENT

Dreams are made of this, to be sure… sheer indulgence and exclusivity on Venice’s Grand Canal