In the 18th century, Venice was the undisputed capital of entertainment, the hub of European cultural and social life, and famous for its magnificent balls, parties, and theatrical performances. But it was in the “casini” (from small house) or “ridotti” (from riducirsi, meaning to go, to meet up) that the most secret vices and virtues of the high society of the time were practiced.

Small rooms or apartments, more intimate and easier to heat than the halls of palaces, arose from the need to circumvent the bans imposed by the Venetian government to limit gambling and, when bars and public venues did not yet exist, to continue having fun late into the evening after the theater. Gradually, they became a true status symbol; by 1744, there were as many as 118, and noblewomen of the time vied to show off a private “ridotto” in the central area of ​​Piazza San Marco, where the theaters were concentrated. Thus, huddles of every kind and type arose, from cultural salons dedicated to the practice of the arts, such as music or poetry, to more social venues for gambling, dancing, conversing with courtesans, and fostering romantic encounters.

The success was such that in 1638, in an attempt to control the phenomenon, the government granted a license for huddles to the nobleman Marco Dandolo, whose eponymous Palazzo Dandolo (now the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal) effectively became Europe’s first casino. Its halls are celebrated in the famous paintings of Francesco Guardi and Pietro Longhi, which depict masked noblemen—another fashion of the time—engaged at the gaming tables, and beautiful courtesans conversing with gentlemen of fortune (Casanova was a frequent visitor).

The huddle style gradually faded with the emergence of bars and public establishments, but today you can still visit a few that retain their distinctive, marvelous decor.

The most distinctive surviving example is undoubtedly the Ridotto Venier, owned by Federico Venier, Prosecutor of the Republic of Venice, but managed by his wife Elena Priuli, a cultured noblewoman who made it her coveted salon. Located in the San Marco area near the Ponte dei Bareteri, it is on the mezzanine of an unassuming building. Once you pass through the small door leading to the narrow stairs and enter the entrance, the marvelous central hall unfolds, with its ceiling decorated with the Venier family logo. From this hall, four smaller rooms branch off: the two gaming rooms to the right, and the kitchen and dining room to the left.

The rooms have retained all their original decorations, dating back to around 1750: refined marble floors, mirrors, stucco, and marmorino, the marble fireplace covered in Delft majolica with butterfly images, the doors and cabinets in precious rosewood, and even the bronze handles and locks.

The secrecy of the place is evident in delightful details that have survived intact, such as the “ante litteram” intercom, a removable tile in the entrance hall floor that served as a peephole to see who was at the entrance, or the small room hidden behind the entrance staircase, used as a musicians’ room, whose music flowed through the carved gilded wood grates, also used to spy unnoticed on the events in the hall. The rooms were also designed to promote privacy: in the first room on the right, inside the wardrobe, there is a secret door that leads directly to the main stairs, allowing exit without passing through the entrance, while in the second room you can see a “liagò”, a wrought-iron balcony with the Venier coat of arms, allowing passersby to be observed from above without being seen from the street below.

Today, the foyer, which can be visited by appointment, is the headquarters of the Alliance Française (French-Italian Cultural Association). Restored in the 1980s thanks to the intervention of the Comité français pour la sauvegarde de Venise (French Committee for the Safeguarding of Venice) and the contribution of UNESCO, which allowed the marvelous frescoes to be brought to light, the foyer is open to the public.

And if you’re curious to discover other beautiful foyers, in addition to the Casino Dandolo, now part of the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, you can visit the Casino Sagredo, transformed into two suites in the 5-star hotel of the same name, and the Casino Zane, home to the Centre de musique romantique française (French Romantic Music Centre).

Useful Info

Alliance Française
Casino Venier
Ponte dei Baretteri 4939
30100 Venezia

For visits, write to contact@afvenezia.it or call 041 5227079