Visit

Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel (Fondamenta Van Axel or de le Erbe, Cannaregio 30121 Venezia), built in 1473, is a magnificent Gothic building consisting of 3,800 square meters distributed over four floors. It is situated next to the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, located at the intersection of Rio de la Panada and Rio de Ca’ Widmann. Once the residence of a wealthy family of Flemish textile merchants, it is still one of the most fascinating and impressive private properties in the city. The palace was built for Nicolò Soranzo with material salvaged from an ancient palace of the Gradenigo family. The palace then passed to the Venier and Sanudo families and finally in 1652 to the Van Axel family, wealthy merchants from Holland who were admitted to the Venetian patriciate in 1665.

The palace has late Gothic features, two internal courtyards with external staircases and two noble floors. Very distinctive are the “porteghi” (main reception rooms) in the shape of an “L” due to the palace’s corner position overlooking the intersection of the two canals. The exhibition Shahzia Sikander: Collective Behavior will occupy the second noble floor of the Palazzo, across eight reception rooms with a total surface area of 500 square metres. In addition, a monumental sculpture will be installed in the palace’s main courtyard on the ground floor.