Ca' Foscari

This grand Gothic palace occupies a prominent bend of the Grand Canal, its ornate facade of pointed arches and traceried windows rising straight from the water. Built in the 15th century for the Foscari family, whose members included one of the longest-serving doges, it later became the seat of the city's principal university. The great hall on the main floor, once used for banquets, keeps its impressive proportions. As an active academic institution, its exterior is admired from every passing boat.