The Gritti Palace

The Gritti Palace stands on the Grand Canal in Venice, its core structure dating to a fifteenth century Gothic palazzo built for the Pisani family, later acquired and remodeled in the sixteenth century by Andrea Gritti, who went on to become Doge of Venice and whose name the building has carried since. Its facade combines Venetian Gothic tracery with later Renaissance additions typical of the grand private palaces that once lined the canal, and its interiors retain period frescoes, Murano glass chandeliers and antique furnishings from successive noble owners. The building was converted into a hotel in 1895, and it has since hosted a long list of writers, artists and heads of state drawn to its canal-front setting. Ernest Hemingway stayed at the Gritti Palace while writing parts of his novel set in Venice, and the hotel has promoted that association since.