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Fondaco dei Tedeschi

Coordinates: 45°26′18″N 12°20′11″E / 45.43833°N 12.33639°E / 45.43833; 12.33639
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The Fondaco dei Tedeschi before renovation.
The new façade and the panoramic roof.

The Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a historic building in Venice, Italy, is situated along the Grand Canal, close to the iconic Rialto Bridge.[1] It was a hostel and a warehouse for the city's German (Tedeschi) merchants and their imports.[1] After being destroyed by fire in 1505, the Fondaco dei Tedeschi was rebuilt in a Renaissance architectural style.[2]

Name

The word fondaco comes from the Arabic funduq (فُنْدُق), which refers to an inn-like establishment for traveling merchants.[3][4] Tedeschi means Germans.[5]

History

The Fondaco dei Tedeschi was first constructed in 1228 next to the Rialto Bridge, and it was later rebuilt between 1505 and 1508, after its destruction in a fire that took place in 1505.[1] The reconstruction of the building created a practical four-floor building that encircled a large inner courtyard and signaled the beginning of redevelopment in the Rialto region.[2] The architectural style of the building is typical of the Italian Renaissance, drawing inspiration from theatre design and festival decoration.[6] This can be seen in the heights of the building's stories and was one of the first buildings in Venice built with this type of style.[7] The Fondaco dei Tedeschi was not only specifically constructed for commerce and trade, but also is similar to the Fondaco dei Turchi in that the building served as a multifunctional place, blending the roles of a palace, warehouse, marketplace, and living quarters.[8][9] The Fondaco dei Tedeschi also fed German merchants from cities like Nuremberg, Judenburg, and Augsburg. [8]

Before the fire from 1505, the building consisted of smaller buildings inside that offered storage facilities and accommodation for German merchants.[10] The Fondaco dei Tedeschi played a crucial role in the success of the Republic of Venice, as a hub for distributing and receiving goods to and from the North and the East.[11][12]

The 1505 fire caused a serious risk to the longstanding trade networks that had flourished there for centuries.[13] Following a practice typical of the eastern Mediterranean and beyond, the ground floor surrounding the courtyard of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi was designated for rental storerooms and accessible by water, while the upper levels were reserved for merchants' living quarters and communal dining areas. [14]

New organization of the Courtyard.

Even thought the Fondaco dei Tedeschi has seen both destruction and subsequent repairs over its history, the building's purpose stayed mostly unchanged throughout history.[15] German merchants occupied it constantly, shortly after it was built in the 13th century, until Napoleon's arrival in 1806.[16]

Upon arriving at the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, Germans had to perform a ceremonial handover of their weapons to the Fontegher, the Venetian authority in charge of room assignments, highlighting the formality of the process.[17][18] As one of the city's most influential merchant colonies, the Fondaco also became a key trading hub, facilitating the flow of goods from the East toward the Alps.[19] It was one of the city's most powerful colonies of merchants, and consequently the fondaco became an important trading centre for goods passing from the Orient on their way towards the Alps. The Venetian Republic took commission on the transactions of the fondaco.

The German community worshipped at a nearby Catholic church, San Bartolomeo.[20][21]

View from the top of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi in July 2017

In the 20th century, the building served as the Venice headquarters of the Poste Italiane. In 2008, the building was sold to the Benetton Group who asked the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas to plan a new shopping centre to be incorporated into the Renaissance building. Benetton promised to transfer 6 million Euro to the city budget in exchange for building permits handed over by the end of 2012.[22] This caused protests among the groups campaigning for preservation of the Italy's historical heritage. Today, the building houses a T Galleria duty-free store as part of the DFS Group.[23]

Function Today

Description

Around 1508, the façade on the Canal Grande was frescoed by Giorgione and Titian. Of that work, deteriorated by the salty and humid climate of the lagoon, a few fragments survive, now housed in the Ca'D'Oro of Venice.

The interior also features outstanding artworks by Paolo Veronese, Titian and Jacopo Tintoretto, also mostly disappeared.

Etymology: Fondaco dei Tedeschi

The word fondaco is derived from the Arabic funduk (or fundque) that was in essence a caravanserai (or caravansary)-a combination warehouse, shop, and inn, for traveling merchants.[24] The word funduq was also used to describe accommodation for European merchants in Eastern port towns.[25] The word Tedeschi means Germans.[26]

Description

There are only a few descriptions that exist about the Fondaco dei Tedeschi before the 1505 fire that destroyed the structure.[27] One of these surviving accounts is by a German Friar who described the Fondaco as having two central courtyards which faced the Grand Canal.[28] There is also a surviving map by Jacopo de’ Barbari that shows that the Fondaco was made up of many smaller buildings which were used for storage as well as housing.[29] The original Fondaco can also be seen in Vittore Carpaccio’s painting Miracle of the Relic of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto, were the Fondaco is visible in the background.[30][31][32]

The rebuilding of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi after the 1505 fire resulted in a much larger building than the previous one.[33] The new design now had one central courtyard formed by the four sections of the building itself.[34] Moreover, the building had fifty-six rooms and many additional rooms for storage.[35] With this expansion the Fondaco could now house over one hundred merchants, and an equal number of servants, as well as many additional administrative officials.[36] On the canal side, the Fondaco dei Tedeschi had a five-bay loggia where merchandise as well as arriving merchants would have disembarked from boats.[37]

It should be noted that not many of the original decorative elements that adorned the Fondaco remain on the building today.[38] Of the few remaining decorative elements is a large wall clock that was installed in 1571.[12] Other details that remain are the merlons, which line the roof, and feature circular cut-outs that are topped with spheres.[39]

Compared to Venetian ornamental arts, the interiors of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi were nevertheless far more subtle, yet were durable and simple to understand.[40] Moreover, the building came to represent a high standard of architectural excellence and magnificence within the city.[41]

Islamic Influence

The reconstructed Fondaco dei Tedeschi was built with many Islamic architectural elements that can be seen in other surviving buildings from far away places like Egypt and Syria.[42] One of these architectural elements is the stairs in the Fondaco that are visually similar to a set of stairs that can be found in the Wakala al-Ghauri in Cairo, built around the same time as the Fondaco.[42] There were also large arches on the lower level of the Fondaco that were paired with smaller arches above, comparable to the design of the Great Mosque in Damascus[43] These two Islamic-styled features are among the many elements that made the new Fondaco a cosmopolitan building in term of its building style.[44] Some of these elements were even copied in other structures built around the same time as the Fondaco notably several building built by the Fugger family including three houses that were remodeled between 1512 and 1515 in Augsburg Germany over looking the Weinmarkt .[45]

Italian Renaissance Frescoes

The building constructed after the fire was adorned with vibrant polychrome frescoes often characterized as dynamic and vividly colorful.[46][47] All four exterior façades of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi were frescoed by either Giorgione or Titian in 1508.[48]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  2. ^ a b Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  3. ^ "FONDACO: definizioni, etimologia e citazioni nel Vocabolario Treccani". www.treccani.it. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  4. ^ "FONDOUK : Définition de FONDOUK". www.cnrtl.fr. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  5. ^ "tedesco: definizioni, etimologia e citazioni nel Vocabolario Treccani". www.treccani.it. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  6. ^ De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary Engel (2013). "Facades, Pageantry, and Identity: The Fondaco dei Tedeschi Frescoes". In De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary E (eds.). Reflections on Renaissance Venice: a celebration of Patricia Fortini Brown. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. pp. 113–117. ISBN 978-88-7439-634-4.
  7. ^ Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  8. ^ a b Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  9. ^ De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary Engel (2013). "Facades, Pageantry, and Identity: The Fondaco dei Tedeschi Frescoes". In De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary E (eds.). Reflections on Renaissance Venice: a celebration of Patricia Fortini Brown. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. pp. 113–117. ISBN 978-88-7439-634-4.
  10. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  11. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  12. ^ a b Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  13. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  14. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  15. ^ Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  16. ^ De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary Engel (2013). "Facades, Pageantry, and Identity: The Fondaco dei Tedeschi Frescoes". In De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary E (eds.). Reflections on Renaissance Venice: a celebration of Patricia Fortini Brown. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. pp. 113–117. ISBN 978-88-7439-634-4.
  17. ^ De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary Engel (2013). "Facades, Pageantry, and Identity: The Fondaco dei Tedeschi Frescoes". In De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary E (eds.). Reflections on Renaissance Venice: a celebration of Patricia Fortini Brown. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. pp. 113–117. ISBN 978-88-7439-634-4.
  18. ^ "fontegher", Wiktionary, the free dictionary, 2024-10-15, retrieved 2024-12-08
  19. ^ Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  20. ^ "The church of San Bartolomeo" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 5, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  21. ^ Madonna of the Rose Garlands
  22. ^ Benetton store is latest 'indignity' for Venice's Grand Canal
  23. ^ "Welcome To T Fondaco Dei Tedeschi | DFS | T Galleria". www.dfs.com. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  24. ^ Hoffmann, J. Wesley (1932). "The Fondaco Dei Tedeschi: The Medium of Venetian-German Trade". Journal of Political Economy. 40 (2): 244–252. ISSN 0022-3808.
  25. ^ Hoffmann, J. Wesley (1932). "The Fondaco Dei Tedeschi: The Medium of Venetian-German Trade". Journal of Political Economy. 40 (2): 244–252. ISSN 0022-3808.
  26. ^ "tedesco, adj.", Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 2023-03-02, retrieved 2024-11-26
  27. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  28. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  29. ^ De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary Engel (2013). "Facades, Pageantry, and Identity: The Fondaco dei Tedeschi Frescoes". In De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary E (eds.). Reflections on Renaissance Venice: a celebration of Patricia Fortini Brown. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. pp. 113–117. ISBN 978-88-7439-634-4.
  30. ^ De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary Engel (2013). "Facades, Pageantry, and Identity: The Fondaco dei Tedeschi Frescoes". In De Maria, Blake; Frank, Mary E (eds.). Reflections on Renaissance Venice: a celebration of Patricia Fortini Brown. Milan: 5 Continents Editions. pp. 113–117. ISBN 978-88-7439-634-4.
  31. ^ "The Healing of the Madman by CARPACCIO, Vittore". www.wga.hu. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  32. ^ "Miracle of the Relic of the Holy Cross at the Rialto Bridge". Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  33. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  34. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  35. ^ Israel, Uwe (2019). "Brokers as German-Italian Cultural Mediators in Renaissance Venice". In Gialdroni, Stefania; Cordes, Albrecht; Dauchy, Serge; Pihlajamäki, Heikki; Ruysscher, Dave de (eds.). Migrating Words, Migrating Merchants, Migrating Law: Trading Routes and the Development of Commercial Law. Leiden/Boston: Brill. pp. 95–117. doi:10.1163/9789004416642_007. ISBN 978-90-04-41664-2.
  36. ^ Israel, Uwe (2019). "Brokers as German-Italian Cultural Mediators in Renaissance Venice". In Gialdroni, Stefania; Cordes, Albrecht; Dauchy, Serge; Pihlajamäki, Heikki; Ruysscher, Dave de (eds.). Migrating Words, Migrating Merchants, Migrating Law: Trading Routes and the Development of Commercial Law. Leiden/Boston: Brill. pp. 95–117. doi:10.1163/9789004416642_007. ISBN 978-90-04-41664-2.
  37. ^ Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  38. ^ Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  39. ^ Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  40. ^ Strzałka-Rogal, Dominika (2021). "The New Function of Architectural Monuments, A Comparative Analysis of Two Different Cases: Palazzo Querini Stampalia and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi Building". Technical Transactions. 118 (1): 1–8. doi:10.37705/TechTrans/e2021014. ISSN 2353-737X.
  41. ^ Hoffmann, J. Wesley (1932). "The Fondaco Dei Tedeschi: The Medium of Venetian-German Trade". Journal of Political Economy. 40 (2): 244–252. ISSN 0022-3808.
  42. ^ a b Howard, Deborah (2000). "Chapter Introduction and chapter 4. The Merchant City". Venice & the East: The Impact of the Islamic World on Venetian Architecture, 1100-1500. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08504-4.
  43. ^ Howard, Deborah (2000). "Chapter Introduction and chapter 4. The Merchant City". Venice & the East: The Impact of the Islamic World on Venetian Architecture, 1100-1500. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08504-4.
  44. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  45. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.
  46. ^ Klett, Svenja (2015). The Case of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Wake-up Call for the Community of Venice (MS Thesis) (PDF). Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.
  47. ^ Hoffmann, J. Wesley (1932). "The Fondaco Dei Tedeschi: The Medium of Venetian-German Trade". Journal of Political Economy. 40 (2): 244–252. ISSN 0022-3808.
  48. ^ Oakes, Simon P. (2009). ""Hieronymo Thodesco" and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi: A Reappraisal of the Documents and Sources Relating to a German Architect in Early Sixteenth-Century Venice". Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte. 72 (4): 479–496. ISSN 0044-2992.

Sources

  • Brusegan, Marcello (2005). La grande guida dei monumenti di Venezia. Rome: Newton & Compton. ISBN 88-541-0475-2.
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45°26′18″N 12°20′11″E / 45.43833°N 12.33639°E / 45.43833; 12.33639

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