Both the wrought iron railing of the stairway in the images above and below and the mosaic floor design in the image above are said to have been installed in 1932. This stairwell space was likely to have been an open cortile for most of the many decades following the construction of this palazzo in the 16th century, with the apartments now served by it being accessed instead through neighboring palazzi (or possibly, in the earliest years after the building's construction, by an exterior staircase).
At the some point it seems likely that a floor or two were added to the top of this building, as was common: I lived for a time in a top floor apartment in Dorsoduro which was part of two floors constructed atop a 14th century palazzo after World War II.
Outside the entrance to the apartment house pictured above and below is one of the last remaining 12th century arcades in the city--its columns looking quite squat as a result of the paving stones having been raised around them time and again over the years to deal with subsidence, and its open spaces bricked up to form walls--but still intact.
All of which is to say that in this compact city one is always traveling much further in time than space, traversing centuries with just a few steps.
In these images you have the eye of Brassai
ReplyDeletemelded with the suspense of Roeg's, 'Don't Look Now '
Denise
You're very kind, Denise--though I'll do my best to forget about your association of "Don't Look Now" with this particular staircase whenever I come in at night!
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