Ca d'Oro

The Ca d'Oro style glasswork has always been very popular as the gold or silver foil embedded in the glass brings a distinctive shimmer to the vase, bead or figurine. However, what most people do not know is that the term Ca d'Oro literally means "House of Gold", and is actually a building on the Grand Canal in Venice known for its Gothic architecture.

The Ca d'Oro was originally constructed in 1421-1422, and has gone through many renovations and modifications until 1894. In 1894, Baron Giorgio Franchetti purchased the building, and restored it to its prior grandeur. Upon his death, in 1916, it was given to the state, and it now houses an art museum. Since it has been owned by the state, it has undergone further restoration work to return its original Gothic architecture and design, albeit without a gilded exterior. Although the original gold foil façade is long gone, the technique used to imbue Murano glass with gold and silver foil lives on. For an example of Ca d' Oro visit our Murano Glass Jewelry page.

Below are some pictures of the Ca d'Oro, from both the past and present, and links for a more in depth review of the architecture.

The official site of the art Museum now housed in the Ca d'Oro. http://www.cadoro.org

For a more detailed description of the history and architecture, click here