The imposing baroque façade of the Palazzo Belloni Battagia in Venice has been restored to its original white. The interior of the building has also been restored to its former glory. The European Heritage Project has carefully restored and conserved the palazzo on the Grand Canal and equipped it with modern building technology. The restoration team drew on the expertise of the Trentino company Calchèra San Giorgio, which specializes in the reproduction of antique and historical building materials.
The Palazzo Belloni Battagia in Venice after restoration. Photo: The European Heritage Project / Calchèra San Giorgio
The Palazzo Belloni Battagia in Venice after restoration. Photo: The European Heritage Project / Calchèra San Giorgio
The European Heritage Project took care of the Palazzo Belloni Battagia
The condition of the Palazzo Belloni Battagia was deplorable: a community of heirs had rented out the living space in a prime location – between the Fondaco del Megio, Venice’s old millet warehouse, and the Palazzo Ca’Tron – as vacation apartments, but had not taken care of the urgently needed restoration of the building.
When the richly decorated façade was in danger of falling into the Grand Canal in 2018, the responsible monument authority, the Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio per il Comune di Venezia e Laguna, intervened. As the palazzo’s heirs were neither able nor willing to pay for the necessary maintenance, they turned to the European Heritage Project. The aim of the privately financed initiative is to save historical monuments in Europe from decay and to step in where public funds are lacking. “What was once removed from the architectural heritage also leaves a trace of historical oblivion in people’s minds,” says initiator Peter Löw.
Pinakeln on the roof: a special feature in Venice
Palazzo Belloni Battagia was thus spared the fate of historical oblivion. The architect Baldassare Longhena, who is considered a pioneer of Venetian Baroque, designed the building for the Belloni family in 1648. The palace with its three storeys and a mezzanine floor is built on the foundations of a Gothic house. Anyone approaching from the Grand Canal can see the two tall pinacles on the roof from afar. They are shaped like obelisks – a special feature that only a few palaces in Venice have.
The Bellonis coat of arms on the cornice
Another special feature is the richly decorated façade made of Pietra d’Istria: lion-shaped protomes on the surface of the water seem to support the entire building. A large covered arched portal leads to the first floor, which supports a balustrade. The spaces between the seven rectangular windows on the main floor are decorated with wall panels and two Belloni family coats of arms. There is a broken tympanum above each window. Finally, the mezzanine has six small, square windows. The edge of the roof forms a serrated cornice with a long frieze, also decorated with the Bellonis coat of arms.
Engraved damage to the façade
The European Heritage Project reacted immediately and purchased the building. Its numerous defects included leaking windows, through which there was a constant draught. The electrical system was also in a disastrous state and the first floor had severe flood damage. Furthermore, there was no septic tank system: sewage flowed into the lagoon. The most serious damage, however, was to the façade, which had already sagged dangerously towards the Grand Canal.
Top priority: securing, cleaning and sealing the stone façade
Together with the supervisory authorities and the monument protection authorities, the European Heritage Project drew up a restoration plan and entrusted SERES S.r.l with the general contract to restore the palazzo. The work was carried out by Errico Costruzioni S.r.l. under the technical direction of architect Andrea Pennisi. The top priority was to secure, clean and seal the stone façade. Once the structural defects had been rectified, the experts repaired and stabilized the baroque ornamentation on the palazzo’s façade. They also repaired the load-bearing elements such as the columns, arches and obelisks.
A team of experts secured and reworked the stucco profiles of the ceilings
At the same time, the first floor, which had been damaged by flooding, had to be completely overhauled and the large areas of chipped plaster had to be replaced. The gates on the canal side were also refurbished. A visually barely noticeable two-metre-high facing boarding is intended to better protect the palazzo from flood damage in future. The need for renovation continued in the interior. Thick layers of salt had formed behind the inadequately ventilated facing walls. There was also an urgent need to modernize the heating, air conditioning and sanitary facilities. The electrics were completely renewed and a new septic tank was built. Where possible, the restoration team renovated the existing windows and doors. When refurbishing the wooden window frames, shutters and glass, they took current energy requirements into account. The experts secured and reworked the stucco profiles on the ceilings of the individual salons as well as the frescoes by Giuseppe Borsato and the wall paintings by Giovanni Battista Canal from the 19th century – work that was as time-consuming as it was materially demanding.
Historical masterpieces are also being restored and brought up to the latest technical standards in France: the Bains Municipeaux in Strasbourg are shining in new splendor.