Ground floor
Courtyard
Formerly used to collect rainwater, the courtyard still has an ancient well-curb (‘vera da polo’) dating back to 1700, with a metal lid bearing a magnificent icon of the St Mark’s lion, protector of the city.
Via the courtyard one can access the grand staircase of the lions (‘Scalone dei Leoncini’), which leads to the Piano nobile and its several rooms. At the other end is a doorway, leading to the ground floor spaces.
Garden
The garden is definitely one of the jewels of the Palace. It’s not every day you find such a large and richly detailed private garden in Venice: in addition to housing a variety of tipically Venetians plants, noteworthy are the ancient well and the richly decorated fountain, both made of Istrian stone.
The garden, enclosed by a small loggia surrounded by greenery, overlooks the Rio di San Stin canal and is accessible by boat through the gate, adorned by two lion statues, carrying the Family’s noble coat of arms.
Androne
Through the courtyard you enter an elegant entrance hall, which serves as a multifunctional environment, providing access to the internal staircase, the garden and the dance floor.
It hosts a large noble coat of arms of the Zen’s Family, painted on wood, dated back to 1800.
On the opposite side of the entrance from the courtyard is another gate (“porta d’acqua”), which makes the hallway directly accessible by boat.
Dance Floor
Through the entrance hall one can access the disco, a soundproofed and air-conditioned room recently designed by the Zen Family to provide guests with a space where they can dance and enjoy a Venetian evening until late at night.
The room can also serve as a more contemporary exhibition space.
