Ca Corner Della Regina

Reconstructed in 1724-1727, Ca Corner housed one of the most long-lasting and prosperous families in Venice in the 18th century. Though owned by a private, noble family, it hosted several public extravaganzas to display their grand wealth that stemmed from their lineage to Queen Caterina of Cyprus. Queen Caterina was born in the pre-reconstructed model of this palace. Ca Corner is considered one of the last examples of imposing palaces along the Grand Canal.
Meticulously designed by Domenico Rossi, Ca Corner serves as one of Venice’s most admired private homes. Rossi intertwined the influences of Palladian, Baroque, and neoclassic architectural designs to create a masterpiece. The Palladian inspiration can be seen by Ca Corner’s square structure decorated by equally spaced, symmetric windows along the façade, embracing Palladio’s geometric simplicity. Ca Corner demonstrates baroque architecture with its high and rounded ceilings, ornately decorated with large-scale frescoes and incorporation of the arts. The use of convex and concave curves and the compilation of paintings created the illusion of depth – making the inside appear to be bigger than reality. The influence of neo-classical architecture is demonstrated through the large-scale incorporation of columns, clean, elegant lines, and the flat roof – different from the widely used domed roofs at the time. The inspiration behind Domenico Rossi’s design, however, predominately sprung from the neighboring build, Palazzo Pesaro. The deviating factor between the two buildings was Rossi’s heavy usage of rectangular windows.
One of the most distinguishing elements of this palace was the use of architraves above its rectangular windows. Architraves were widely used throughout buildings in Venice to decorate the tops of arched windows. Since architraves were primarily used for arched windows, their functional purpose served to hold stones in place in the middle of the arch. However, Rossi sought to make a statement with his unusual design and placed the architraves above the rectangular windows as an architectural joke of sorts. These architraves, decorated with faces, were said to represent spirits that protected the family residing in the palace.