Palazzo Mora

Palazzo Mora is an ancient building situated in Sestier Cannaregio, between the San Felice Church and Canal di Noal. After the 11th century this area started having a big importance, both as a passage for the boat as for the people. The branch of the Mora family which used to live in this area was one of the most well known and important in Venice from 1500 to 1780.
The previous owner of the building was Andrea Contarini, a member of one of the most ancient and important family of Venice. He sold Palazzo Mora in 1714 and was bought by Mora family in 1716. Palazzo Mora, as it is known nowadays, is the result of the unification of two previous different buildings made by Bartolomeo Mora between 1716 and 1737.
From the second half of the 17th Century this Palazzo started to obtain a bigger social role thanks to the families that started to celebrate the importance of their lineage. In particular, the Mora family which was upgraded of the Patrician title in those years, thought that was essential show their prosperity and their power making their house bigger. That’s also why the part of the building in front of the garden was used as a Public Library.