VENETIAN MAGIC: The Palazzo Nani Bernardo: a dream on the Grand Canal

The Palazzo Nani Bernardo, in whose large dining hall we are being entertained tonight, overlooks one of the most evocative stretches of the Grand Canal that extends between Ca' Foscari and Ca' Rezzonico, opposite the Grassi Palace.

The Bernardo family commissioned the building in the middle of the 16th century and it is not only home to many magnificent antiques, but also a myriad of objects that reflect the present owner's own personality developed in a lifetime of learning about and seeking out the true essence of art all over the world, acquiring a taste for the exotic and distant cultures along the way.

Seated at a table adorned with elegant china,silver tableware and served a series of dishes that could not be faulted at all, we listen, enraptured, to the memories of a lady who, with her business acumen, journeys to remote countries and her magnificent and impressive appearance is the very embodiment of her native city, Venice.

Today the palace, whose “piano nobile” is available to the cultured and sophisticated for magical dinners full of atmosphere, is a special place in which to admire the art and spirit of Venice, and the ideal venue to sample the luxury and splendour of times past.

Whether putting in an appearance on the open balconies that give onto the “canalazzo” in order to see and to be seen, or strolling through the four lavish sitting rooms and large dining room, the allure of the silk and damask adorned walls, original 18th century Venetian furnishings and the obvious attention to detail that together reflect a particular life-style is absolutely irresistible.

Countless priceless chandeliers made of Murano glass diffuse candle light around the rooms, along with a few Bohemian Crystal lamps, and we cannot help but notice the many delightful objects collected from all corners of the world by successive generations, dotted here and there amongst paintings and magnificent mirrors hand-made by the talented craftsman of long ago.

If the palace's interior is all about charm, its exterior expresses all its indisputable beauty: two floors of balconied triforia and a design so balanced that has something of the Palladian about it.

The private landing stage on the canal highlights the building's flamboyance and calibre.

Perhaps the most surprising and most precious aspect of all, and one that is hard to find in a city so dominated by water, is the garden, created in the mid 19th century and considered to be one of the most fascinating in Venice.
Divided into geometric flower beds bordered by immaculate hedges, with dozens of highly scented, deep-coloured old-fashioned roses, pergolas adorned with cascades of greenery and a palm tree that is the tallest in Venice, this secret garden represents the very essence of intimacy and the pleasure of reflection. It is the real surprise of this patriarchal building, and is open to those who love the subtle yet penetrating artistry and fascination of the Venetian atmosphere, that Elisabetta Czarnocki Lucheschi, daughter of the current owner and the person behind many unforgettable dinners and receptions held at the Palazzo Nani Bernardo has deliberately set out to create.


Article orginally published (in Italian) in a CN Traveller Promotion magazine