San Francesco della Vigna & surroundings
Visit of the church designed by Sansovino & Palladio, viewing its treasures, cloister and garden, walking to a mysterious sotoportego nearby.
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The Palazzo Gritti a San Francesco della Vigna or Palazzo della Nunziatura was built in 1525 as a residence for Andrea Gritti, who was Doge of Venice from 1523 to 1538. After his death, the large Renaissance complex with two almost square houses around an inner courtyard that stretches from Campo San Francesco della Vigna to Rio del Fontego became the property of the Contarini and Morosini families. The Republic of Venice later acquired the Pallazzo Gritti and donated it to Pope Pius IV, who made it the seat of his apostolic nuncio in Venice.
In the 19th century, the rear building on the Rio del Fontego with the entrance on the Campo della Confraternità was granted to the Franciscan monks. They had the colonnade, the so-called "Cavalcavia" (designed by G.A. Pigazzi), built as a link to their monastery. Today, the unadorned palazzo houses private apartments.
The portal on the east side was made famous by the German television series Commissario Brunetti, based on the novels by Donna Leon. In the series, it repeatedly appears as the entrance to the Questura, the police headquarters. More about this on the next page.
© Photo: Haupt & Binder, Universes in Universe
Visit of the church designed by Sansovino & Palladio, viewing its treasures, cloister and garden, walking to a mysterious sotoportego nearby.