Let's go back to the fantasy and thank Konrad that he has allowed us to sneak into his house in Venice.
The original palace portrayed is called Palazzo da Mula and it was (still is) for sale when The Substitute was written. It was Konrad's grandmother favourite residence and nowadays is one of his "caves" when he needs to be alone and think. The other is San Capistrano, in the Lazio area, near Rome. He keeps a villa near Villa Borghese when he's into "adventures" in the Eternal City (parties, dinners and so on) as San Capistrano is a "Family residence," meaning Guntram can visit it, his aunt Elisabetta can visit it, the Cardinal D'Annunzio can visit it but Stefania was never invited. Coming to think, she was also not invited to Venice; perhaps to the Danieli.
The decoration is still exactly as she planned it at the Turn of the Century and our big boy has changed nothing at all.
Property Description
The Da Mula family who built the palazzo and owned it for almost 600 years, were one of the most important and respected noble families in Venice. The family was originally Roman, and this influence can be seen in the central courtyard, which is built to monumental proportions.
The 750 sqm property is accessed both from the street entrance and from a water gate on the Grand Canal, and offers both a Classical staircase and a lift. A large central salon with exquisite original frescoes concludes with a spectacular Gothic Quadrifora window and a wide balcony with stunning Lagoon views. Leading left and right from the main salon are three smaller salons all overlooking the Grand Canal. One of the salons features wall fabric that is the only example of its kind outside the Ducal Palace. In addition, the rear of this property features windows overlooking the central courtyard, an elegant formal dining room and also a small family chapel. In addition to these formal rooms, there are five bedrooms and four bathrooms, kitchen and breakfast room. The property has its own boat mooring on the Grand Canal.
The palace is not located in Venice but in Murano, overlooking the Grand Canal.
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| From left to right: Casa Centani, Palazzo da Mula, Palazzo Barbarigo (decorated with mosaics as the owners were Murano glass producers) |
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| A private living room, now used as general office |
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| Konrad's office. |
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| Konrad's room, with the famous angels on the ceiling. It's hard to concentrate with this gang around. |
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| Guntram's first room on the second floor. Appropriate enough for a future Lord Consort in Friederich's view. Our boy loved the view over the Grand Canal |
Wow, this is so gorgeous! I love the view of the canal....very Renaissance. I am almost tempted to bounce around and sit on every white silk-covered chairs in that hall. XD
ReplyDeleteKonrad's palazzo is a breathtaking piece of period architecture. El artesonado es simplemente maravilloso. It's no wonder Guntram was deeply impressed by the Duke's house. I can barely imagine the shock it must have caused him to suddenly found himself immersed in a world of such riches and luxuries.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing these photos I just had to re-read the whole Venice episode and imagine the scenes in the Pallazo da Mula settings. Deep impact.
It's also very interesting to see how Konrad and Friederich have a very compartmentalized frame of mind, and how they express it in terms of everyday life.
Thank you, your excellency, for allowing us a glimpse of one of your houses. (And just how many do you have!?)
PS Poor Stefania, that was perhaps just invited to the Danieli. Can understand why she thought it a compliment, though! XD