- Palazzo Grassi
Palazzo Grassi (also known as the Palazzo Grassi-Stucky) is a fine example of Venetian
Classical architecture and located on the Grand Canal ofVenice . It was designed byGiorgio Massari , and the building was completed between 1748-1772.The latecomer among the palaces on the
Grand Canal of Venice , Palazzo Grassi has an academic classical style that is in contrast to the surrounding Byzantine Romanesque and Baroque Venetian palazzos. It has a formal palace façade, constructed in white marble, and lacking the lower mercantile openings typical of many Venetian patrician palaces.The Grassi family sold the palazzo in 1840, with ownership that followed passing through many different individuals. The Palazzo was purchased by the
Fiat Group in1983 , under the latechairman Gianni Agnelli , and it underwent a complete restoration overseen by CountAntonio Foscari Widmann Rezzonico , the current owner ofVilla Foscari . The group's aim was to transform Palazzo Grassi into an exhibition hall for the visual arts. It continues to be used as an art gallery today. [ Libro d'Oro, "Foscari", (Araldico Rome) 2000-2004]Between
1984 -1990 ,Pontus Hultén was in charge of the art museum which also contains a 600 seat outdoor theatre. Since2006 , the palace has been owned by the french entrepreneurFrançois Pinault who exhibits his personal art collection there. Currently, there is some interest in theGrassi family , who reside inNew York , to purchase the palazzo back with the intentions of maintaining it as an art museum. [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=P8&xml=/arts/2006/05/02/bagrassi02.xml www.telegraph.co.uk] accessed 2008-01-16]References
External links
* [http://www.palazzograssi.it Palazzo Grassi Website]
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