Palazzo Donà dalle Rose

History
On October 14, 1609, Doge Leonardo Donà purchased a plot of land at Fondamente Nove, at the corner with the Rio dei Gesuiti, from Giacomo Nani, the son-in-law of his brother Nicolò, to build the family palace. This choice caused ongoing disputes with his brother Nicolò, who felt that Fondamente Nove was too peripheral and would have preferred a palace on the more prestigious Grand Canal.

The first stone was laid on March 24, 1610, the eve of the foundation of Venice, according to a design by Paolo Sarpi, according to Marco Foscarini, but Cicogna states that he found no trace of it in the Donà family archive. The construction site was overseen by Francesco de Piero, head of the procuratorship of San Marco de citra, whom Doge Donà had known since at least 1594. The building was completed on October 15, 1611. Upon the death of the doge on July 16, 1612, the financial management of the construction passed to his nephew Leonardo (1583-1632).

Architecture
The facade features a base and cornices made of Istrian stone, in the form of smooth ashlar. The main entrance is to the north, on Fondamenta Nuove, with a pointed arch doorway, while to the west, on Rio dei Gesuiti, there is the water door, also with a pointed arch, and the dock. The east side is bordered by the garden wall.

Inside, the ground floor consists of a large entrance hall with stairs on either side leading to the mezzanine; the main staircase leads to the noble floor, characterized by a large hall (portego), while the top floor was reserved for the service staff.