Ca'Dadda, a Grand Canal palazzetto, Venice, Italy

Venetian Grand Canal Palazzo with Terrace

Ca'Dadda is a 16th-century palazzetto on Venice's Grand Canal, restored by Paris-based architect Elias Guenoun. The three-story building keeps its Renaissance structure: an atrium in marble, staircases carved into stone, Byzantine capitals over the piano nobile windows. A wrought-iron water gate opens straight onto the canal, and an upper-floor terrace hangs over the water with a view toward the Rialto Bridge. The house is in Cannaregio, a short walk from the bridge and the daily Rialto market, and sleeps up to eight guests across four bedrooms.

Guenoun's restoration gave the house a new life while preserving original detailing: marble flooring in the atrium, intricately carved staircases, Byzantine capitals crowning the piano nobile windows. Antique and modern furnishings sit side by side, blending the line between tradition and modernization. Upstairs, a suspended terrace floats above the waterline, framing the Grand Canal for aperitivo at sunset or espresso in the morning as gondolas pass below.

All four bedrooms are air-conditioned and set apart from the canal-facing living spaces. The Grey Room, the largest, looks toward the Rialto Bridge. Carrying the same material language present throughout the house, the bathrooms are laid in marble, with heated floors and modern fixtures. The second-floor Grand Salon holds a long dining table, and the kitchen is fully equipped.

The building's defining outdoor space is its water gate, a wrought-iron Porta d'Acqua on the ground floor that opens straight onto the Grand Canal, the house's original point of arrival. One floor up, a suspended terrace over the water, holding a table for meals with a direct view down the canal, close enough to watch gondolas and vaporetti pass through the day.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Cannaregio, Venice sleeps up to eight guests. Four bedrooms and four bathrooms are spread across three floors, connected by two staircases. The largest, the Grey Room, faces the Rialto Bridge. Two further en-suite doubles share the first floor with a Red Living Room and one additional bathroom. The top floor holds a fourth bedroom with its own wardrobe room, a bathroom with dual sinks and a freestanding tub, the kitchen, and the terrace. There is no elevator.

• Bedroom 1: Double, Rialto Bridge view (the Grey Room; en suite pending host confirmation)

• Bedroom 2: Double, en suite

• Bedroom 3: Double, en suite

• Bedroom 4: Double, en suite, separate wardrobe room

• 1 guest WC

Amenities

Family-friendly amenities (including children's toys), fully equipped kitchen with modern appliances, high-speed Wi-Fi, air conditioning and heating, washer and dryer, concierge services upon request. Please note: there is no elevator.

Experiences

Concierge services are available on request, including help with private transport and restaurant reservations around Cannaregio.

Good to know

There is no elevator, so guests with mobility concerns should plan accordingly. The kitchen comes fully equipped, wi-fi is high-speed throughout, and air conditioning and heating cover all four bedrooms. A washer and dryer are on-site, and the house is set up for children, with toys provided.

Amenities & services

Washer, dryer, fully equipped kitchen, coffee maker, desk or workspace, high-speed wi-fi, air conditioning and heating, children's toys, concierge services on request, water-gate access to the Grand Canal.

Around

Step outside into the heart of the Venice. Within walking distance, you'll find hidden bacari (Venetian wine bars), contemporary art galleries, and the daily Rialto market.

Venice’s Grand Canal is the city’s longest (4km) and its most famous channel. The waterway bisects the beautiful city, and is crossed by four bridges, the Rialto, Accademia, Scalzi and Constituzione. Vaporettos, gondolas and private vessels ply the canal’s waters, and you can also walk the length of the canal, utilizing the historic bridges as crossovers. Rialto Bridge is the city’s oldest and most renowned bridge, its covered, stairstep stone structure built between 1588 and 1591. Venice’s famed Rialto Market occupies a wide square on one side of the bridge. Open daily, the market has existed in the same location since 1097, and showcases a kaleidoscope of fruits, vegetables, and most notably fresh fish.

As the city’s main artery, the Grand Canal is lined on both sides with palaces, museums and historical sites, and is also frequently buzzing with a crowd. Take a sunrise walk to enjoy the canal more privately. Architecture aficionados will appreciate the varied styles of the palatial residences that front the Grand Canal. Built by prominent Venetian families and powerful merchants’ guilds, facades and building styles range from Renaissance and Baroque, to Byzantine and Gothic.