The historic Ca' Dario palazzo, a 15th-century architectural gem in Venice, has been listed on the market with an asking price of approximately £17 million. This magnificent property, built in 1489 for merchant and diplomat Giovanni Dario, boasts nine bedrooms, eight pillared bathrooms, grand reception halls, a garden, a boat ramp, and a roof terrace offering sweeping views of Venice's iconic canals and cupolas.
A Legacy of Luxury and Legend
Christie's International Real Estate, handling the sale alongside high-end agents Engel & Volkers, describes the palazzo as situated 'on the most prestigious part of the Grand Canal.' The residence features two noble floors, a magnificent decorated staircase, a library, service quarters, and a panoramic terrace. Every architectural detail reflects the life of Giovanni Dario, who designed Ca' Dario as a perfect fusion of private residence, place of representation, and symbol of 15th-century Venetian magnificence.
The Dark History Behind the Beauty
Despite its architectural splendour, Ca' Dario is shrouded in a dark and twisted past that has fuelled centuries of disturbing tales. A grisly string of deaths and misfortunes associated with the property has led many to believe the building is haunted and brings bad luck to its occupants.
After Giovanni Dario's death, the palazzo passed to his daughter Marietta and her husband, a wealthy spice merchant. Tragedy soon followed: his business collapsed, he was stabbed in a fight, and Marietta later took her own life. Their son was subsequently killed in Greece in a suspected vendetta-style ambush.
Centuries of Misfortune
The alleged curse appears to have persisted through the ages. In 1896, French poet Henri de Régnier stayed at Ca' Dario but was struck down by a mysterious illness and forced to flee Venice. In the 1960s, celebrated operatic tenor Mario del Monaco planned to purchase the property, only to abandon the deal after being seriously injured in a car crash while travelling to view it.
In the 1970s, Italian aristocrat Count Filippo Giordano delle Lanze was murdered inside the palazzo by his lover, a Yugoslav sailor, who later fled to London where he was himself murdered. During the 1980s, Italian tycoon Raul Gardini purchased the property but later became embroiled in the sprawling Tangentopoli corruption scandal and took his own life in Milan in 1993.
More recently, in 2002, John Entwistle, bassist of The Who, died of a heart attack in a US hotel just one week after renting the palazzo for a holiday. The property was bought by an American firm on behalf of its current owners in 2006, whose identities have never been made public, and has stood empty ever since, further deepening its unsettling reputation.
Artistic and Historical Significance
Beyond its notorious history, Ca' Dario holds significant cultural value. The palazzo was painted by Claude Monet during his only trip to Venice in 1908 and was mentioned by Henry James in his 1909 travelogue Italian Hours. Giovanni Dario originally commissioned the building after negotiating a peace agreement with the Ottomans, for which he was handsomely paid by La Serenissima, as the Venetian Republic was known.
Market Perspective and Preservation
Arnaldo Fusello from Christie's International Real Estate dismisses the 'curse' of Ca' Dario as a baseless fable. 'If you look at any palazzo in Venice that is 500 years old, you will find that, of course, plenty of tragic things happened over the centuries,' he told The Telegraph. 'I have been inside the property maybe 150 times and I can tell you I never felt a shiver down my back – unless the windows were open in the middle of winter.'
Fusello notes that while the palazzo has been empty for two decades, it is beautifully preserved and would not require extensive restoration or substantial investment. 'It's only been back on the market a little while but we have had a lot of interest from prospective buyers,' he added, though he refused to reveal the exact asking price, saying only that it would be in the range of 'several million' euros.
Engel & Volkers emphasises that Ca' Dario represents more than just a property: 'it is a piece of history, a noble residence with deep roots and a bright future, perfect for those seeking elegance, prestige and an authentic connection with the most exclusive Venice.'
