Differences Between The House With The Two Towers and Ca' Foscari
The practical function of Venetian palaces was different from the other Italian cities. The nobility did not earn their living from landowning as in other Italian city states at this period but from seafaring and trade. As a result their "fondaco" houses had to serve not only as residences but also as the headquarters for their trading ventures. The main features of these early palaces was the two-storey arcade along the waterfront, with the ground-floor portico for loading and unloading merchandise. The portico led into a great hall used for displaying armour and for business negotiations, with storerooms and offices on either side and a kitchen at the back. The living quarters were upstairs, with the rooms leading off great T-shaped central room; a well and an open staircase were placed in the courtyard. There were low towers at each end of the façade. The House of the two Towers too used to have this structure, before Francesco Foscari decided to destroy it and rebuild it in Gothic style.
Read more about this topic: Ca' Foscari
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