Noble Floor
Salone
The 'Portego' of the palace is the most spacious room on the noble floor.
It connects the various rooms of the palace and is often used to host events such as receptions, concerts, dinners.
The large mirrors on the side walls provide an even greater effect of depth and volume. Six Doges, including Doge Ranier Zen, are also depicted on the walls.
Antique Murano chandeliers and candelabras illuminate the whole room, creating an ambience of other times.
The balconies above the courtyard, overlooking the Rio di S. Stin, offer a magical panoramic view of the city.
One can access the hall via the large courtyard staircase, passing through the Alcova, or via the typical internal staircase of Venetian porteghi.
Amigoni room
The room is named after the work by Jacopo Amigoni (Venice, 1682 – Madrid, 1752) housed in it, painted between 1740 and 1752.
It is an oil on canvas, depicting Hercules, Lacinius, Bacchus and Venus with the four cardinal virtues in the foreground: Justice, Prudence, Fortitude and Temperance.
Archive room
The large Archive Room is dominated by the fresco credited to Gaetano Zompini (c. 1700 – Nervesa, c. 1778) depicting the Triumph of Diana. The Goddess, representing Chastity, is surrounded by allegorical personifications glorified by Fame and exalting the Zen Household: Wisdom, Prudence, Bounty, Justice, Military Valor, etc., with the moralizing presence of the Fates.
The decorative band that frames the scene is believed to be attributable to Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna (Ferrara, 1688 – Verona, 1774), the great quadraturist who worked extensively alongside Giambattista Tiepolo.
It is believed to have been painted to mark the 1725 marriage of Chiara Marcello to Alessandro Zen.
Sala degli stucchi
A sumptuous late 17th-century stucco decoration embellishes this room, built in the second half of the 19th century, in harmony with the romantic and nostalgic taste of the time.
The circular mirrors hanging on the walls of the hall are richly decorated with voluminous frames, on which is also the Family’s coat of arms.
The Neo-Baroque stuccoes also enhance the fresco in the center of the ceiling: the Allegory of Peace, a Risorgimento-themed work by Giacomo Casa (Conegliano, 1823 – Rome, 1887). Other works by the same artist can be found La Fenice Theater (Sale Apollinee, 1866), as weel inside the famous Caffè Florian, in Piazza San Marco.
Chinese room
The Chinese Room symbolises the cultural and artistic exchange that has taken place over the centuries with the Eastern culture.
Even the room’s design represents the union of the two worlds: the typical Venitian parquet floor contrasts with the pink walls, decorated with 18th-century motifs and typical Chinese illustrations of the period.
Alcova
The Alcova is a typical room in historic Venetian palaces, mainly used in the 18th century for clandestine romantic encounters, as it has several exits.
It consists of a double room: in ancient times balustrades or curtains separated the main area from the recess in one of the walls, where the bed is placed.
