I was so excited to read that Ca'Foscari gave tours of the university. I have always been…read moreintrigued by the beautiful palaces that sit on the Grand Canal and this is one of them. We met Elena on Saturday morning for our tour. It cost € 7 each to attend. There were only a total of 8 people on our tour, which made it more personal by Elena. The school is celebrating 150 years - 1868-2018. Some highlights of the tour were: they have the 2nd largest courtyard after the Palazzo Ducale; they originally offered 3 courses - Business, Diplomacy and Language; Foscari was the Doge for 30 years; and he was 53 when he became a Doge. After a brief history, we were shown the most stunning Mario Baratto Room - "Aula Baratto". The wide view on Canal Grand offers a majestic view of the Rialto Bridge on the left and the Accademia Bridge on the right. In 1936, Carlo Scarpo completely redesigned it. Carlo Scarpo work is easily recognizable by the style of the wooden windows, the furniture and the marble stage. The fascist work 'Venice, Italy and Scholarship' of Mario Sironi remained however on the wall. In 1956, Scarpa converted the large aula into a smaller room for lectures. His woodwork which separates the corridor from the aula is very fine. In addition to Ca' Foscari, we were able to tour the Ca' Dolfin. The 16th century Ca' Dolfin is located on the other side of the Rio di Ca' Foscari and was acquired by the university in 1955. You enter into a lovely, quiet garden. The impressive Aula Magna Silvio Trentin is now the main location for large events. As soon as you enter, look up and take in the sumptuous ceiling painting with 18th century frescoes. You feel really overwhelmed by the colors and images. One remarkable detail is the sculpture of a dolphin above the door. It refers to the Dolfin family who originally owned the building. Unfortunately, the 10 original wall paintings of the Venetian painter Giambattista Tiepolo had been sold by one of the former owners. The mirrors which now decorate the walls hide these empty spaces perfectly. From the terrace, you have lovely views of the rooftops and churches of Venice.

I was so excited to read that Ca'Foscari gave tours of the university. I have always been…read moreintrigued by the beautiful palaces that sit on the Grand Canal and this is one of them. We met Elena on Saturday morning for our tour. It cost € 7 each to attend. There were only a total of 8 people on our tour, which made it more personal by Elena. The school is celebrating 150 years - 1868-2018. Some highlights of the tour were: they have the 2nd largest courtyard after the Palazzo Ducale; they originally offered 3 courses - Business, Diplomacy and Language; Foscari was the Doge for 30 years; and he was 53 when he became a Doge. After a brief history, we were shown the most stunning Mario Baratto Room - "Aula Baratto". The wide view on Canal Grand offers a majestic view of the Rialto Bridge on the left and the Accademia Bridge on the right. In 1936, Carlo Scarpo completely redesigned it. Carlo Scarpo work is easily recognizable by the style of the wooden windows, the furniture and the marble stage. The fascist work 'Venice, Italy and Scholarship' of Mario Sironi remained however on the wall. In 1956, Scarpa converted the large aula into a smaller room for lectures. His woodwork which separates the corridor from the aula is very fine. In addition to Ca' Foscari, we were able to tour the Ca' Dolfin. The 16th century Ca' Dolfin is located on the other side of the Rio di Ca' Foscari and was acquired by the university in 1955. You enter into a lovely, quiet garden. The impressive Aula Magna Silvio Trentin is now the main location for large events. As soon as you enter, look up and take in the sumptuous ceiling painting with 18th century frescoes. You feel really overwhelmed by the colors and images. One remarkable detail is the sculpture of a dolphin above the door. It refers to the Dolfin family who originally owned the building. Unfortunately, the 10 original wall paintings of the Venetian painter Giambattista Tiepolo had been sold by one of the former owners. The mirrors which now decorate the walls hide these empty spaces perfectly. From the terrace, you have lovely views of the rooftops and churches of Venice.