A man dedicated his life to the Ca d’Oro mosaics. Now he’s watching you.

The stunning beauty of the mosaic floor at the Ca’ d’Oro is a pride of Venice and the product of more recent times, about 1 century after the end of the Serenissima.

Entirely designed and even partially laid down by Ca’ d’Oro’s last owner, the baron Giorgio Franchetti, the 350 square meters floor is a unique composition of many different marbles from multiple areas. Porphyry ancient red and “sienite” from Egypt, “serpentino” green, “cipollino” green, thessalian, and “breccia di settebasi” from Greece, the “luculleum”, “iassense”, “pavonazzetto” and “breccia corallina” marbles from Turkey and Numidian marble from Tunisia.

While the marbles used in this composition are the favorites of the Roman tradition, most of the geometrical shapes are inspired by the local churches of S.Maria e Donato in Murano, S.Maria Assunta in Torcello and, most of all, the Basilica di San Marco. The other decorations are inspired by the Byzantine tradition, which Giorgio Franchetti, who was a famous art expert and collector, knew very well.

The Ca d’Oro and its mosaics are more than an amazing work of art. They are the fruit of the passion and life dedication of Franchetti who spent an important part of his life dreaming about the reaction of the people to whom he would show his incredible work.

Sadly, he died before having completed his gigantic project and never saw the Ca d’Oro as it is today. His family took on completing his work. In 1916, the Ca’ d’Oro was bequeathed to the Italian State and later opened to the public as the “Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro”. Some say that today Franchetti observes with pride the reaction of whom comes visit his palace.