Palazzo Mocenigo Casa Nuova, Venice
Palazzo Mocenigo Casa Nuova is one of the Mocenigo family palaces on the Grand Canal in the sestiere of San Marco, Venice. Together with the adjacent Casa Vecchia, it formed the principal Venetian residence of one of the city’s most powerful patrician dynasties, which produced seven Doges of Venice.
At a glance
- Type
- Patrician palace
- Period
- 17th–18th century construction; Mocenigo family presence from the medieval period
- Style
- Venetian Baroque and Gothic revival elements
- Location
- Sestiere di San Marco, Venice, Italy
- Coordinates
- 45.4350° N, 12.3268° E
Overview
The Mocenigo palaces on the Grand Canal represent the most visible legacy of a family that dominated Venetian politics for centuries. The Mocenigo clan owned a cluster of adjacent palaces — known as Casa Nuova, Casa Vecchia, and the “Nero” — which together formed a monumental waterfront ensemble. The philosopher Giordano Bruno famously lodged at the Mocenigo household in 1591–92 before being denounced to the Inquisition by his host.
History
The Mocenigo were among Venice’s most prominent noble families, and their Grand Canal properties were rebuilt and expanded across multiple centuries as the family’s wealth and influence grew. The Casa Nuova (New House) was substantially constructed or remodelled in the 17th and 18th centuries, reflecting the Baroque taste of the period. The family’s seven doges, including Pietro Mocenigo (1474–1476) and Alvise I Mocenigo (1570–1577), are commemorated throughout Venice in monuments and paintings.
What you see
The palace faces the Grand Canal with a richly articulated facade featuring the multi-light Gothic windows and Baroque pediments typical of Venetian aristocratic architecture. The piano nobile retains decorated ceilings and period furnishings in several rooms. A nearby Mocenigo property at San Stae now houses the Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo, a civic museum of fabrics and historic Venetian costume.
Cultural significance
The Mocenigo palaces embody the intersection of political power, private wealth, and architectural patronage that defined the Venetian Republic at its zenith. Their survival, along with the Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo, ensures continued public engagement with this heritage.
Practical information
- Address
- San Marco, Venice, Italy (Grand Canal frontage)
- Nearby museum
- Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo, Santa Croce 1992, Venice — open Tuesday to Sunday; check Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia for current hours and admission
Getting there
Take vaporetto line 1 or 2 along the Grand Canal; the palace is visible from the water in the San Marco sestiere. The nearest vaporetto stops are Sant’Angelo and San Samuele. For the Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo at San Stae, use the San Stae stop on vaporetto line 1.