Sneaking into a Palazzo

A conference room at Ca’ Foscari. Classes aren’t held here now because the weight of all those students might make the building collapse. Or so I was told. Waves from motorboats have damaged the underwater foundation of the building, a more common problem that most of us ever hear about.

The view from the balcony of Ca’ Foscari, at the turn in the Grand Canal.

A conference room with chairs that make me think the room is used for the inquisition.

The balcony has this lovely detail–the stone is carved straight through!

I’ve long wondered what it was like inside Ca’ Foscari, the palazzo that houses Venice’s main university. Last summer a friend took me on a brief, partial tour to see some of the rooms. Here’s a peek!