Aula Mario Baratto, Ca’ Foscari University
The Aula Mario Baratto is the great ceremonial hall of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, housed on the piano nobile of the Gothic palace that gives the university its name. Located on the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro sestiere, the hall is one of the finest surviving examples of Venetian Gothic interior civic space and has served since 1868 as the symbolic heart of one of Italy’s oldest universities. Named in 1993 after Mario Baratto, a distinguished scholar of Renaissance theatre, the aula is used for degree ceremonies, lectures, and cultural events.
At a glance
- Type
- University ceremonial hall within a Gothic Venetian palace
- Period
- Palace built c. 1453; university use from 1868
- Style
- Venetian Gothic
- Location
- Dorsoduro, Venice, Veneto, Italy
- Coordinates
- 45.4345° N, 12.3262° E
Overview
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice is a public research university founded in 1868, one of the first commercial-sciences universities in Italy. The palace of Ca’ Foscari, constructed around 1453 for Doge Francesco Foscari, is regarded as one of the supreme examples of Venetian Gothic palace architecture on the Grand Canal. The Aula Mario Baratto occupies the central hall of the piano nobile and is distinguished by a long polyforate window overlooking the canal.
History
The palace was built for Doge Francesco Foscari, who served as Doge of Venice from 1423 to 1457, one of the longest dogeships in Venetian history; the building was completed around 1453. After passing through various noble families, the palace was purchased by the municipality of Venice and assigned to the newly established business school in 1868. The institution, known as the Regia Scuola Superiore di Commercio, was the first commercial university in Italy. The great hall has been in continuous academic use since that date and was named after the literary historian Mario Baratto in 1993.
What you see
The Aula Mario Baratto is defined by its six-light Gothic window — a polyforate lancet arcade — which fills the room with diffuse light from the Grand Canal and is visible from boats passing below. The interior features an elaborate carved and gilded ceiling restored in the 19th century, decorative friezes, and a series of commemorative portraits of rectors and benefactors of the university. The piano nobile level commands a memorable view across the canal toward the Palazzo Balbi on the opposite bank.
Cultural significance
Ca’ Foscari palace is classified as one of the canonical examples of Venetian Gothic civil architecture, alongside the Ca’ d’Oro and the Palazzo Ducale, and is reproduced in nearly every survey of Venetian art and architecture. The continuous use of the hall as an academic space has preserved it from conversion while maintaining its symbolic role as a place of public knowledge and ceremony within a living city. The university’s position at the heart of the historic centre reinforces Venice’s identity as an international centre of learning.
Practical information
- Address
- Dorsoduro 3246, 30123 Venezia VE, Italy
- Access
- The Aula Mario Baratto is not open to casual visitors; access is generally possible during open university events, degree ceremonies, and Ca’ Foscari open days
- Website
- unive.it
Getting there
From Venice Santa Lucia railway station take vaporetto line 1 or 2 along the Grand Canal and alight at the Ca’ Rezzonico stop (Dorsoduro side); Ca’ Foscari is a short walk along the fondamenta. Alternatively, alight at the Ferrovia stop and walk via the Ponte degli Scalzi and through Dorsoduro — about 15 minutes on foot. Water taxi service is available from the station directly to the university landing stage.