Palazzo Mocenigo Historical Timeline

Origins

The palace has Gothic origins but was extensively rebuilt in the early 17th century, gaining the Serlian windows -- three-light openings with semi-circular arches -- typical of Venetian architecture of that period, and a large central hall, the pòrtego, running through the building.

Turning points

From the 17th century onward, the palace was home to the San Stae branch of the Mocenigo family, one of Venice's most important patrician dynasties, which produced seven Doges between 1414 and 1778 -- including Alvise I Mocenigo, Doge during the 1571 Battle of Lepanto.

Influential people

In 1787, the family commissioned an elaborate cycle of ceiling frescoes for a wedding, painted by Jacopo Guarana, Giambattista Canal, and Giovanni Scajaro, still in place across the palace's Rococo and Neoclassical first-floor rooms today.

Cultural evolution

The last Mocenigo descendant bequeathed the palace to the city of Venice in 1945, specifically to serve as an art gallery completing the Correr Museum's collections; it opened to the public in 1985 as a study centre for the history of textiles and costume.

Present-day significance

A full renovation completed in 2013 doubled the museum's exhibition space to twenty rooms and added a dedicated Perfume section across six further halls, tracing the history of scent-making with historical instruments, documents, and an extensive collection of perfume bottles.