Title:  A Summary History of the Palazzo Dandolo

Author:  Anonymous

Release Date:  October 26, 2004 [EBook #13870]

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

*** Start of this project gutenberg EBOOK history of the Palazzo Dandolo ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Garcia and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.

[Illustration]

A SUMMARY HISTORY

OF THE

PALAZZO DANDOLO

NOW

ROYAL HOTEL DANIELI

* * * * *

VENICE

* * * * *

1896

[Illustration:  View of the exterior of the two palaces which form the Royal hotel Danieli]

In 1805 the second floor of the Palazzo Dandolo, situated in the Calle delle Razze, and fronting on to the Riva degli Schiavoni, was bought by a certain Dal Niel, sur-named Danieli, from a member of the families of Michiel and Bernardo, into whose hands it had come, partly by inheritance and partly by marriages.  The new proprietor converted it into an hotel, giving it his own name—­Hotel Danieli.

Although the use to which this Palace, which once occupied so large a place in the glories of the history of Venice, has been put during the present century is very different from that for which it was built, it has always been kept most worthily, first by Danieli, then by his daughter Alfonsina, the wife of Vespasiano Muzzarelli, then by his grand-daughter, Giuseppina Roux, and last by S.S.  Genovesi and Campi; so that it had the honour, which it still possesses, of being chosen by Emperors, Kings, Princes, and Ambassadors, and by great men of all countries whose artistic travels bring them to this incomparable city, so justly called the «Pearl of the Adriatic».

To the honour of the proprietors, who have succeeded one another in this hotel, be it said that although, from time to time, certain works have been executed in this historic Palace, to adapt it to its new use as an hotel, yet not only have the staircases, the saloons and the various apartments been preserved just as they were, but the artistic beauties, and the historical souvenirs, have been carefully respected; the stuccoes and frescoes of the XVIth and XVIIth century have been spared; and the portraits and heraldic shields of the Dandolos, the Bernardos, and the Mocenigos can still be admired today in their original positions.

[Illustration:  Panoramas from the balconies of the Palazzo Dandolo (now hotel Royal Danieli)]