Thinking of the Grand Canal, what comes to mind are undoubtedly the water parades during the time of the Serenissima, the enchanting romantic views scattered throughout its course, and the relaxed passage of boats and gondolas. But the Grand Canal, defined more than five centuries ago as the most beautiful street in the world by the French ambassador Philippe de Commynes, is also a place where mystery and darkness hover.
Behind the elegant facades of some magnificent palaces facing directly onto the canal, numerous stories unfold that narrate intrigues, passions, and mysterious and unsettling legends. Within these buildings have passed the most disparate characters: wealthy merchants, poets, literati, and nobles have succeeded one another over the centuries, and some of them have never truly left. Their spirits, in fact, still wander today among the rooms of the palaces in which they had lived.
Many of you may already know the story of Ca’ Dario, a building considered cursed for centuries due to the tragic fate that befell most of its owners. Episodes of violent death and financial disasters have characterized the lives of the owners of this beautiful palace.
At Ca’ Pesaro, the seat of the Museum of Oriental Art in Venice, it is said that the ghost of a Japanese warrior, armed with a katana and typical samurai armor, roams the halls and corridors. Many people swear they have heard or seen him among the museum's spaces, terrifying and stealthy.
But perhaps the most unsettling story involves Palazzo Grassi: here, the ghost of a young woman, who committed suicide by jumping from the balcony of the inner courtyard, calls the museum's female employees by whispering their names in their ears, as if she were standing right beside them. It is not a scream but a faint, barely perceptible sound.
If mysterious stories and ghost legends intrigue you, you cannot miss this itinerary in the heart of Venice, involving some of the beautiful and ancient palaces along the world's most famous canal.
For info, write to events@parkviaggi.it
