Whether you travel the Grand Canal by boat or on foot, there is one jewel in all its ageing wonders that says more than any other: "Welcome to Venice."
Built by architect Giovanni Bon and his son Bartolomeo for the Contarini family in 1442, Ca d'Oro is a bastion of late Gothic style. Recognizable by its delicate and graceful cornices and battlements and marble façade, at its highest point it was gilded with gold leaves, which gave it the name "golden house". Over the years, the building - now known as Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro, a national museum - had fallen into disrepair, its splendor, like its masterpieces, faded by time.
More from WWDWork is now underway to restore the building to its former glory. The restoration has been led by Venetian Heritage, an international organization dedicated to preserving the city's artistic treasures, and its director Toto Bergamo Rossi, who says the full renovation of the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro museum is expected to be unveiled in late 2026.
Pomellato and Venetian HeritageMilan jeweler Pomellato is one of the main sponsors of the restoration and, in collaboration with Venetian Heritage, was the main supplier of a lighting system for the building's façade last year, creating a new, gilded, golden glow that stands out on the Grand Canal.
"This iconic building showcases the unparalleled craftsmanship and visual culture that Italy has given to the world. For me, the Ca' d'Oro holds a special place in my heart, as it reminds me of the beauty and resilience of Venice, a city that has fascinated me since I was a child," says Sabina Belli, CEO of Pomellato.
Masterpieces in abundanceOn September 4, and coinciding with the Venice Film Festival, Pomellato and Venetian Heritage will celebrate the conservation of some of the most important masterpieces of Ca' d'Oro by producing five state-of-the-art display cases to ensure their long-term preservation. Among the pieces housed in these new display cases are the terracotta models by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in particular the terracotta models of the "Allegories of the Four Rivers", the Rio de la Plata and the Nile, part of the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona in Rome. Models by Stefano Maderno depicting the Labors of Hercules and works by Camillo Rusconi are also among the pieces housed in the new state-of-the-art display cases.
Following the 2019 floods in Venice, Pomellato worked with the Venetian Heritage Foundation to restore the monument dedicated to Francesco Morosini, who was appointed doge of the city in 1688, a title bestowed on heads of state in the Italian city during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Kering jeweler also previously funded the restoration of the Epistle Ambo pulpit in the monumental Basilica of San Marco.
The building's massive renovation will address even the most technical details, such as the air conditioning and heating system and the green plaster walls, says Bergamo Rossi, a Venetian native who grew up on the same canal and started out as a restorer specializing in marble and stone sculptures. He has restored the sculptures of Venetian basilicas such as San Marco and Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
Bergamo Rossi grew up with the Ca' d'Oro as a cultural reference and a temple to world treasures such as Mantegna's San Sebastian and Tullio Lombardo's Double Portrait. "It is one of my favorite items... it is a place I have been a thousand times as a young student and art restorer."
Bergamo Rossi reflects on the life of Baron Giorgio Franchetti, who bought the palace in 1897. A Jewish Venetian and descendant of the Rothschild family, he had amassed an impressive collection as a museum, not for his own use, and later donated it to the Italian state in 1916. "It was already very contemporary to do something like that," he says.
Fashion comes to the rescueIn total, Venetian Heritage raised 8.5 million euros for the restoration of the building, thanks to donors such as Peter Marino, chairman of Venetian Heritage in New York; Luca Marzotto; Marchesa Giovanna Sacchetti and architect Roger Thomas.
The president of Venetian Heritage Italy, Marchesa Valentina Marini Clarelli Nasi, took over the restoration of the beautiful chapel that houses a masterpiece by Mantegna, while Marino, an avid collector of Baroque bronze sculptures, took over a space dedicated to Renaissance bronze collections. Giorgio Armani took over the restoration of some masterpieces from the museum's collection.
According to Bergamo Rossi, the generous contributions of major fashion brands and conglomerates have, over time, replaced the contributions of wealthy American patrons and Gilded Age heiresses, such as Peggy Guggenheim, who supported the city and its wonders when they emigrated from the US to live among the canals of Venice.
"It's easy for us to work together. They love beauty, they love the transmission of heritage," he says, recalling the charity gala dinner that Venetian Heritage organized with Dior in 2019, which coincided with the opening of the Venice Biennale and was dedicated to the 18th-century Venetian artist Giambattista Tiepolo. The "Tiepolo Ball" marked the 20th anniversary of the foundation and was held in the 17th-century Baroque Palazzo Labia in Venice, the same venue that hosted the legendary "Bal Oriental" organized by Charles de Beistegui on September 3, 1951. For the 2019 occasion, designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, he says, invested her own passion in the artisanal wonders that surround the palace, opting for napkins made on the island of Burano and fabrics made by Fortuny, as well as glasses made in Murano.
Elsewhere in the city, Venetian Heritage also funded and managed the reinstallation of the Grimani collection of classical sculptures, reunited in its original location after 400 years.
The interest in fashion continues to save Venice, he says.
"It's not just about throwing a nice party to raise money. This year we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Venetian Heritage and always in collaboration with Dior we were able to raise 1.6 million euros and for a small foundation like ours that's a lot of money. In the US and in England, raising funds is part of their tradition, but not in Italy," he muses.
Giving life to a new Venetian jewelTo celebrate the most recent restoration project at Casa d'Oro, Pomellato created the Bernini Loupe high jewelry necklace, featuring a rose gold pendant with a slightly veiled rock crystal, "like the mist that often envelops Venice in the fall," according to Pomellato. The design also features a domed cut that resembles a magnifying glass, which the company says symbolizes an appreciation for beauty in all its forms. The gemstone is surrounded by diamonds, creating a play of light that echoes the luminous quality of Bernini's models.
"The Bernini Loupe necklace is an invitation to pause for a moment and admire the beauty around us up close, just as Bernini's models offer us a glimpse into his creative genius," said Vincenzo Castaldo, creative director of Pomellato.
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