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The Querini Stampalia Foundation is one of the best-preserved examples of a house-museum in Europe. This Foundation, born in 1868 at the behest of their last heir, preserves the whole heritage of the noble Venetian Querini Stampalia family.
Between 1961 and 1963, the architect Carlo Scarpa carried out some important restorations, mainly involving water: the canal under the building feeds the latter through several bulkheads running along the inner walls; in the garden, there is a large multi-level tub made of copper, concrete and a mosaic, while a small ditch reaches two labyrinths carved in alabaster and Istrian stone.
Apart from water, this work of such a great master of Italian architecture of the XX century is divided into four themes: the bridge, which is the lightest connecting arch built in Venice in recent centuries, the entrance, with flood barriers, the “portego”, and the garden.

The typical Venetian courtyard was transformed into a splendid “hortus conclusus”, reinterpreting Arab and Japanese traditions. A cherry tree (Prunus avium), a magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), and a pomegranate tree (Punica granatum) were planted in the center of a geometrical shaped turf. All around this area, there are clumps of creepers and flower bushes that perfectly complete the natural decorations. The ancient puteal, a Gothic lion, some capitals, and two fountains are the true legacy of the ancient Venetian traditions.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)