Ca' Duca Terrace  

Description from the manager

A dazzling apartment with a traditional 'altana' roof terrace, stunningly positioned on the top (third) floor of the palazzo known as 'Ca' Del Duca' and directly overlooking the Grand Canal between Campo Santo Stefano/ the Accademia Bridge and Campo San Samuele/ the Palazzo Grassi Museum of Modern Art in the San Marco district of the city.

The 19th Century 'Ca' Del Duca' palazzo is named after Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan, who acquired the much older unfinished building in 1461 from the prominent Venetian 'Cornaro' family who had initially intended to build what would have been one of the largest private palazzo's in the whole of... Venice. Work was subsequently abandoned by the Duke (during which time it housed the atelier of famous Venetian artist Titian), leaving only the rudiments of its initial construction which we still see today in the very distinctive chiselled Istrian masonry on the ground floor facade - quite a novelty for Venice at that time and a feature said to have provided inspiration for the design of some of the finest palaces we see in Venice today.

Recently restored with both a discerning eye and an accomplished hand to offer all the comforts of the 21st Century, such as air-conditioning and internet connection, while carefully preserving the calm, unhurried and much-yearned for atmosphere of a past era all too often missing from today's rushed and frantic world, Ca' Duca Terrace sleeps six guests in fabulously bright, elegant and spacious accommodation.

It has a beautiful sitting/ dining room made luminous by the light streaming in from its five well-dressed and west-facing windows with balustrades overlooking the Grand Canal and the Palazzo's equally illustrious neighbours. A truly fine room, the sitting area features gleaming 'terrazzo' flooring, delicate filigree plasterwork, modern art, comfy sofas and period pieces while the dining area to its side is furnished with a clear-topped dining table and iconic Philippe Starck 'Louis' and 'La Marie' 'Ghost' chairs (the latter design notable as the world's first transparent chair!) and an inspired choice for both tempering the traditional and allowing the ambient light to circulate the room unimpeded.

There's a superb vaulted kitchen/breakfast room with feature fireplace - a well-equipped space with all mod cons where the confident colours and rustic style marble-topped work table, dining table, chairs and cushioned church pew seating work in harmony with metalwork chandeliers and decorative heraldic crests in creating the grand and rather 'baronial' feel of a great estate kitchen, while an external staircase opposite the kitchen entrance takes guests to the furnished 'altana' roof terrace offering bird's eye views over Venice and its rooftops.

Sleeping accommodation comprises three double bedrooms, each with air-conditioning and each with its own bathroom - two charming and exceptionally well presented doubles of a very good size (one in gentle 'Eau De Nil' with a double bed, the other in a warm 'Persimmon' with twin beds and chaise-longue and both with terrazzo flooring and en suite bathrooms with bathtub) plus, at the top of the staircase, a further cosy double bedroom under a sloping mansard roof with twin beds, a single day bed for lounging, 'limed' floorboards and an en suite bathroom with shower.

Rental price includes GAS, ELECTRICITY, LINEN and FINAL CLEANING

OUR COMMENT

A splendid new addition to our portfolio of 'Larger Apartments and Palazzi', offering a superior holiday experience to the most particular of guests.

Wonderfully positioned within an exclusive area of antique shops, galleries, restaurants, wine bars and cafes, where everyday needs are catered for by a grocery/delicatessen, wine shop, pharmacy and news-stand, the Palazzo itself is traditionally home to the Luxembourg Pavillion of the Venice Art Biennale taking place in the city every other summer (during odd years).

Conveniently close to the vaporetto stops at San Samuele and Sant' Angelo for easy travel around the city and moments away from the 'Traghetto' at San Samuele which, during operating times, ferries passengers by gondola across the Grand Canal to Ca' Rezzonico and the Museum of 18th Century Art in the district of Dorsoduro.

Check-In: 3:00pm

Check-Out: 10:00amRead more

Additional Location Information

Location Type City, Downtown, Town

Additional notes from owner

ALL VIEWS ON VENICE RATES, IRRESPECTIVE OF LENGTH OF STAY, ARE FULLY INCLUSIVE OF ALL UTILITIES* - gas, electricity, bed linen, towels, final cleaning, welcome on arrival and check-in up until 7.30 p.m.** are all included, as are air-conditioning and internet access if available at your chosen apartment. And while the Venice Tourist Tax*** is an extra on bookings made on or after 8th May '13, there are NO HIDDEN CHARGES.

Rentals of over 7 nights also include a weekly bed linen and towel change during your stay.

* Telephone charges, where applicable, are extra.
**Arrivals between 7.30 p.m. and midnight incur a late arrival fee of €50, payable in cash upon arrival.
*** Introduced by the City of Venice Council on stays at hotels, b&b;, campsites, apartment rentals etc., this per night/per person tax is levied on the first 5 consecutive nights of a client’s stay in Venice and is payable to your Views on Venice representative in cash (euros) upon arrival at the apartment.

The Rental Deposit (40% of the rental) will be debited from your credit card when you finalise your booking with us, while the balance will be debited by you through our credit card payment gateway at least 20 days prior to your arrival. Note that if paying by bank transfer, an extra €20 administrative fee will be charged to each transaction (i.e. deposit and final payment). Click here for further details regarding payment.

The Security Deposit (the amount specified alongside the apartment rate) is required against any breakage or damages to the apartment or to its furniture and equipment caused by the client during the rental period. This is payable to Views on Venice upon presentation of your credit card upon arrival at the apartment prior to occupancy.
Credit card details will be automatically recorded and subsequently cancelled by Views on Venice on the day of departure should no breakage or damages to the apartment or its furniture and equipment have occurred during the rental period.

What Past Guests Are Saying

• JodesLovesTravel
  255100

  Absolutely amazing

  Left on 12/16/2011 for a stay in May 2011
  
  

  We stayed for a week in this spacious apartment in a historic Palazzo, with children aged 4 and 1. It was the most amazing experience - waking up in the morning and sitting in our living area, looking across at the most amazing panorama - the Grand Canal, the historic buildings, Accademia Bridge...my children waving at the passing boats and gondolas and listening to the sound of gondoliers playing music and singing, and their passengers waving back. Because we were on the top floor, the sound was never intrusive. There aren't lifts, but we found the location and the apartment so well worth the steps to get to it. The only time I complained was with a full load of gourmet food - bought a short distance away at the local mixed business, or for a bigger shop, 10 minutes walk at the most, across the canal, was the big supermarket that all the locals use, and it was cheap and the food just devine! What a way to shop, walking across the canals and through the streets of Venice for your bread and milk! We ate like royalty, well served by the huge kitchen with everything we needed. There are also very nice galleries (loved the Peggy Guggenheim Collection) , cafes and resturants (and of course gelato bar) a very short distance away - and while close to all the tourist sights, I felt this was an area that was still full of locals, and not really that many tourists! There was obviously a music school not far away, as we sat on our roof terrace and listened to violin and piano performances a few nights, with a glass of wine, watching the sun set. We also entertained friends in town at the time with a cooked breakfast on that terrace - there was plenty of room - it was used a lot more than we expected!). Once we closed the door and were inside the apartment, we couldn't hear a thing. We obviously had way too much space for a family of four, but our daughter absolutely loved her attic room, it truly is the perfect kids bedroom (and the air conditioning up there worked well). Our son slept well in the cot supplied in the twin room, which looked very comfortable and while our double bed was extremely firm, we slept very well. The washing machine was so handy, and hanging our clothes on the traditional pulley line over the adjacent side canal added to the most amazing 'Real' Venetian experience. This is a very traditional palazzo - with old floors that go up and down (terazzo is quite a bit slippery if wearing the wrong shoes - be careful- we found barefoot better) and a lot of old style furniture, some of which we moved out of little people's reach while we were there, but everything was gorgeous, ambient, well loved and well cared for and we just loved loved loved it. Never would we stay in a sterile, small Venetian hotel again. There is nothing sterile about this place, and we would absolutely go back again and stay at Ca Duca Terrace. I'd been to Venice once before, my husband twice, we thought it would be our last trip there but now we are working out how to get back there as soon as we possibly can. I think that our stay at Ca Duca Terrace is the primary reason for that. The Views on Venice staff are great - from initial inquiry stage on-line, to the meet and greet, to babysitting (the kids had a lovely time with annalisa, we had a couple of dinners and a lunch without children and it was so much enjoyed), to the final check-out - everyone was courteous, professional and friendly. Without a doubt, one of the best holiday experiences and loveliest places we have ever stayed. Thank you.

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  Would you recommend this vacation rental to a friend? Yes

  Recommended for: Friends, Groups, Families w children

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  Response from Views on Venice - 01/09/2012

  

  Views on Venice

  Manager

  Ciao JodesLovesTravel
  
  What a wonderful review! Thank you so much for your kind words and for writing in. To hear that you had such a fantastic time is really marvellous and we very much hope that we see you again. Wishing you all a ‘Happy New Year’ and a ‘Ciao!’ from everyone here in the office.
  
  A presto
  
  Filippo, Views on Venice