Venice, Veneto · interwar · Youth house, later a seamen’s hostel
At a glance
A low building on the water in the west of Venice, with a stone eagle spread across its parapet. It was built for the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio, the Fascist youth organisation, and after the war it became the Casa del Marinaio, a hostel for seamen passing through the port — which is why Venetians still call it the Marinaretto. Today it is the Diego Valeri nursery school.
Key facts
- Built for: the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio (GIL)
- Then: Casa del Marinaio, lodging for seamen passing through Venice — hence the nickname Marinaretto
- Now: Scuola dell’Infanzia comunale «Diego Valeri»
- On the parapet: a carved eagle with spread wings
- Setting: directly on the canal, with steps down to the water
- Coordinates: 45.4345703, 12.3196423
What you see
The building is two storeys, rendered in ochre with stone dressings, and it meets the water directly: a flight of steps runs down into the canal from the central doorway, green with weed. The windows on the ground floor are round-arched and closed with decorative iron grilles.
What fixes the date is on the roof. Set on the parapet above the centre is a carved stone eagle, wings spread across the full width of the panel — the emblem of the organisation the building was made for, left in place while everything underneath it changed use twice.
The building today
Practical information
- Seen from the public street or canal; the building is in use and not open to visitors.
Sources
- Comune di Venezia — Scuola dell’infanzia comunale «Diego Valeri»
- History of the building: GIL house, later Casa del Marinaio for seamen passing through Venice
Record researched and written by Stefano Vigolo for Cultural Heritage Online, 2026.
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The long side on the canal
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prints 34 × 25 cm at 300 dpi · taken 2013
The building from the canal
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4000 × 3000 px · JPG · 4.7 MB
prints 34 × 25 cm at 300 dpi · taken 2013
The eagle on the parapet
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4000 × 3000 px · JPG · 4.8 MB
prints 34 × 25 cm at 300 dpi · taken 2013
The canal front, with the eagle on the parapet
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4000 × 3000 px · JPG · 4.8 MB
prints 34 × 25 cm at 300 dpi · taken 2013