This magnificent palace, now home to the International Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Oriental Art, was built in the second half of the 17th century at the behest of the noble and extremely wealthy Pesaro family, to a design by the leading architect of the Venetian Baroque, Baldassarre Longhena, who also designed the Church of the Salute and Ca’ Rezzonico. Work began in 1659 on the landward side, starting with the courtyard featuring its distinctive loggias, which was completed by 1676; the prestigious façade overlooking the Grand Canal had reached the second floor by 1679, but, upon Longhena’s death in 1682, the palace remained unfinished. The Pesaro family entrusted its completion to Gian Antonio Gaspari, who certainly finished it by 1710, whilst largely adhering to the original design.
