Palazzo Angelo Frari Altana Venice - Apartment

A wickedly seductive Dorsoduro retreat with a secret garden, bedroom terraces and a quaint canal at your feet!

Beyond an ancient Byzantine archway with intricate carvings in stone, lies the charming Ca’ Minore – your fantasy Venetian home.

Adopting the elegant aesthetic of its moltissimo chic owners within the serene and sleepy alleyways near Campo Incurabili, this freshly refurbished property wraps 6 guests in blissful comfort and boasts a pretty courtyard garden laced with climbing plants and trees.

Within steps of our much-loved garden apartment ‘La Baruffa’, moments from the Peggy Guggenheim and the Zattere’s spectacular canal-side views, the air-conditioned** Ca’ Minore offers 3 quietly stylish bedrooms plus Wi-Fi and a washer / dryer for convenience during longer stays.

Impeccably furnished throughout in classic neutral colours and liberally sprinkled with original artwork arousing interest at every turn, the accommodation is spread over 2 floors of the property and comprises:

• Your choice of 2 private entrances depending on your direction of arrival:

One (the Byzantine archway) leading directly into the garden from Calle Navaro (if arriving from the Zattere), and the other into the main apartment from the parallel Calle del Forno (if approaching the apartment from the opposite direction!)


Ground Floor

• A well-equipped galley-style kitchen / dining room with streamlined units, white painted beams and a vintage refectory dining table with a pair of matching wooden benches

• An attractively presented sitting room furnished with comfy seating and featuring wide bi-fold French windows opening onto your west-facing furnished garden – such a treat in warmer months and a rare privilege in Venice!

Capturing the sun from the afternoon onwards and lit by Venetian hand-blown glass and wire lanterns for magical al fresco dining beneath the stars, the garden is home to climbing plants and raised flower beds set beside castellated walls of terracotta brickwork, at the centre of which is a decorative wrought-iron water door* guarded by a pair of benign Venetian lions and fronting the tranquil ‘Rio di Toresele’ canal

A sliding door from the sitting room leads into:

• A cosy beamed double bedroom with porthole window looking onto the garden, with twin beds (which can be made into a double upon request) set beneath a painting depicting the nearby 17th-century Chiesa and Scuola Spirito Santo

On the opposite side of the sitting room:

• A handy storage / dressing room with wardrobe leading into

• A stylish bathroom with shower and a beautifully carved stone wash basin entirely in keeping with Ca’ Minore’s historical vibe

Stone steps rise up to the centre of the


1st Floor, where we find:

• 2 double en suite bedrooms, one at either end – both with double beds, beamed ceilings, characterful bottle-bottom, hand-blown glass windows and French doors opening onto private plant-filled furnished terraces which extend over the sublime courtyard garden just below

One bedroom has a smart en suite bathroom with bathtub, while the other has an equally smart en suite bathroom with shower

* Please note that the water door is not in use



OUR COMMENT

A salve for the soul in a secret garden setting, a tucked away treasure in possibly our favourite part of town…

A short stroll to the Church of the Salute, the Palazzo Cini Gallery and to the Punta Della Dogana Center of Contemporary Art at Dorsoduro’s eastern tip, and close to the Accademia Galleries / Bridge on the Grand canal plus a great choice of eating places and bars including Agli Alboretti, Lineadombra and Ristorante Riviera for fine dining, and Osteria Al Squero, Corner Pub and Cantinone Gia Schiavi for spritz and cicheti.

An easy walk to 4 vaporetto (water bus) stops – Zattere Spirito Santo, Zattere, Salute and Accademia for travel around the city (note that St. Mark’s Square can be reached by vaporetto from Salute in under 5 minutes on Line 1!), to 2 Conad supermarkets – one just behind the Zattere Spirito Santo vaporetto stop and the other at the western end of the Zattere – and to the traghetto at Calle Lanza / Calle del Traghetto San Gregorio which, during operating hours, ferries passengers by gondola across the Grand Canal to the traghetto stop beside the Gritti Palace in the district of San Marco.

Also within easy reach of the Alilaguna boat stop connecting the Zattere to Venice's Marco Polo Airport.


**Please note that the operation of air conditioning and heating are subjected to the municipality regulation. Generally, the heating works from middle of October to middle of April, while air conditioning works between middle of Aprile to middle of October. Please contact us for further information.

For arrivals between 8.00 p.m. and midnight there is an additional cost for "late arrival" of Euro 50, to be paid in cash upon arrival. We organize arrivals between midnight and one o'clock with an additional cost of Euro 100, after this time we reserve the right to accept the customer always with a supplement to be quantified according to the time of arrival.

Beds will be arranged as either doubles or twins as shown in the photos. The possibility of turning a double bed into twins or vice versa can be found in the description and must be requested at least 7 days before arrival.

Tucked away in arty Dorsoduro and beguiling guests with its verdant charm
Sits our sublime Venetian ‘casa’, the serene Corte della Palma…

Named after the flourishing palm trees stretching up to the skies from its expansive lawned garden (all yours!) near the pretty Rio delle Romite canal, this peaceful inner sanctum with its highly desirable address promises an exceptional Venetian experience for up to 6 guests.

Fabulously positioned just a few doors down from the famous old-school Locanda Montin and one bridge (and a short alleyway) from the sparkling Zattere promenade, the recently remodelled Corte della Palma takes its interiors to the next dimension with bold design imaginatively paired with traditional pieces and object d’art.

A million miles away in mindset from the (sometimes) madding crowds of Venice and offering abundant space to kick back and let the outside world slip by, the property comprises 3 luxurious and tranquil bedrooms with accommodation spread over the ground and 1st floors (reached by stairs).

Counting Wi-Fi, air-conditioning* throughout and a washing machine / dryer amongst its attributes along with an aura that clearly announces that this is a special place indeed, the property is reached via the ‘blink and miss it’ Calle degli Occhialeri (Street of the Opticians) and comprises:


Ground Floor

A private front door opening into the entrance hall of the house which in turn leads into…

A bright and utterly delightful open-plan main living space composed of…

A sitting area with cool stone flooring (a treat for the feet during warmer weather), a large L-shaped sofa with additional velvet tub-style seating ideal for chilling, a wall-size handmade mirror with antique finish realised by Ongaro e Fuga on the nearby glass-making island of Murano, all lit by a rare and spectacular 19th-century French ‘Pampille’ crystal chandelier

Arch-headed French doors leading to a charming wooden-decked internal courtyard shaded by fabric ‘sails’, furnished with cushioned seating and doubling up as an ‘al fresco’ sitting room when the weather is fine

A stylish dining space with a contemporary dining suite hosting 6 guests lit by a second antique ‘Pampille’ chandelier, and a glazed door opening to reveal Corte della Palma’s remarkable and gorgeously grassy 200sqm walled garden boasting a wonderful furnished paved terrace / loggia illuminated by Venetian hand-blown lanterns at night for memorable dinners beneath the stars, freshly planted flower borders beside characterful herringbone paving, an ancient and very charming ‘vera da pozzo’ wellhead that would have been used in years gone by to provide the residents of the house with fresh water, and a pair of sun-loungers with parasol on a further terrace beneath the palm trees… a slice of pure heaven… who knew Venice had such gardens?!

A modern and well-equipped kitchen with sparkling marble worktops and everything one needs for rustling up an Italian feast**

A pristine contemporary bathroom in polished marble with shower


Stone stairs rising to the…


1st Floor, where we find Corte della Palma’s 3 deluxe bedrooms, each with traditional terrazzo flooring and whitewashed beams overhead…

The restful principal bedroom dressed in pink and greys with a double bed, a Les Dominotiers Sovana Grisaille bespoke panoramic wall mural from the long-established Luise Parati of Padua, and a contemporary en suite bathroom enrobed in striking grey and white marble with shower

A splendid 2nd double bedroom with delightful garden views, a double bed dressed in shades of pink, turquoise and mustard, wallpaper from the Japanese Khroma Kimono Collection by Masureel and a separate immaculate bathroom with shower shared with…

The bijou 3rd bedroom overlooking Corte della Palma’s internal courtyard,
dressed in dramatic teal blue and Midnight Walk wallpaper from Caselio and with a (small) double bed


**Alternatively get in touch for further details of ‘A TAVOLA’ – VOV’s new purpose-designed and professionally equipped Venetian Home-Kitchen – situated almost opposite Corte della Palma on the Rio delle Romite canal, where we celebrate the Italian passion for great food, wine and good company through informal, hands-on COOKING CLASSES with menus focusing on traditional Italian and Venetian cuisine along with easy-going and informative sommelier-led Italian WINE TASTINGS – we hope to see you there!


OUR COMMENT

The rare gift of a garden and a beautifully curated home brought together in a perfect package in the Dorsoduro sestiere!

A short amble to one of the last remaining gondola workshops still in operation in Venice at San Trovaso, the picturesque Campo San Barnaba, the Accademia Bridge and Galleries, the newly reopened Ca’ Rezzonico Museum of 18th century Venice, the iconic Church of the Salute, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Palazzo Cini Gallery, plus the Punta Della Dogana Center of Contemporary Art…

… Also close to a variety of fine restaurants and bars including Locanda Montin, Ristorante Riviera, Enoteca Ai Artisti, Oniga, Osteria Al Squero and Cantine del Vino già Schiavi (a favourite with the locals and home to some of the best cicchetti in town!)

An easy waterside stroll to the well-stocked Conad supermarket at the western end of the Zattere for easy self-catering and to 4 vaporetto (water bus) stops – Zattere, Zattere Spirito Santo, Accademia and Salute – for easy travel around the city (note that St. Mark’s Square can be reached by vaporetto from Salute in under 5 minutes on Line 1!)

Within easy reach of the Alilaguna boat stop connecting the Zattere to Venice's Marco Polo Airport and close to the traghetto at Calle Lanza / Calle del Traghetto San Gregorio which, during operating hours, ferries passengers by gondola across the Grand Canal to the district of San Marco.


*Please note that the operation of air-conditioning and heating are subject to municipality regulation. In general, heating is available from mid-October to mid-April, while air-conditioning is available from mid-April to mid-October. Please contact us for further information.

For arrivals between 8.00 p.m. and midnight there is an additional cost for "late arrival" of Euro 50, to be paid in cash upon arrival. We organize arrivals between midnight and one o'clock with an additional cost of Euro 100, after this time we reserve the right to accept the customer always with a supplement to be quantified according to the time of arrival.

Beds will be arranged as either doubles or twins as shown in the photos. The possibility of turning a double bed into twins or vice versa can be found in the description and must be requested at least 7 days before arrival.