| |
by Vincent
Scamozzi (1583-1588). The building was in ancient time
assigned to the coinage of the coins of the Venetian Republic (Mint).
The median portal decorated with two big caryatids, leads
to the superior spaces, wich were the ancient seat of the
Library (today they are visible only in the occasion of
expositions; today the reading room is made up by the
inside courtyard covered by a skylight). Climbing the
great staircase, whose very refined stucco works are due
to Vittoria and they develop the theme of the progressive
illumination along the walk of knowing, we can get in the
vestibule whose ceiling houses one of the late work of
Tiziano, the Wisdom (1564), symbol of supreme synthesis
of the iconographic program of the staircase route. The
large hall, planned by the Sansovino, is wonderful, and
on its walls are put the paintings representing the
philosophers, works of Veronese, Jacopo Tintoretto,
Sustris and Andrea Schiavone. The ceiling frames some
paintings with allegorical subject, performed between
1556 and 1557 from painters chosen by Tiziano and
Sansovino. Among the whole Veronese won a gold necklace,
the prize for the best paintings. Today the Library is to
a large extent constituted with the donation of the
Cardinal Bessarione, from donations coming from
suppressed religious orders: among the most important
works there is the Grimani Breviary of the end of the
fifteenth century, very precious masterpiece of miniated
code. |
