Fondaco dei Turchi

It is one of the most ancient venetian palace, from 1227, but completely restored during the XIV century.

Facing the Grand Canal, the Venetian- Byzantine style building was built at the beginning because of committed by Pesaro family, then it was donated to the Turkish during the XVII century, who kept it until 1838.
It was at the same time a storage (“fondaco” stands for storage), negotiation place, market and religious place (there was a little mosque and some Turkish bath); the habitable floor was just one.

Women and young Christians were not allowed inside, and a special magistracy used to manage  the business (for example the weapons trade or the money exchange for the Turkish merchants). Because of the decline of the business relationship between Venice and the Ottoman Empire, the Fondaco was abandoned until the second half of the XIV century when the Austrians started to restore it.

Today the building hosts the Natural Museum with a wide range of fossils, embalmed animals and a special section dedicated to the Lagoon life.

More information:

Natural Museum
www.msn.ve
0412750206