Palazzo Pianca opens as design-driven boutique hotel in Venice

Palazzo Pianca, a 16th-century Venetian palace purchased by Italian design company Pianca in the 1990s, has reopened as a boutique hotel after a year-long renovation completed during the pandemic. Located between Santa Maria del Giglio and the Grand Canal, near Piazza San Marco, the building was initially divided into four apartments and remained uninhabited until 2020. The restoration preserved original elements such as a wooden fireplace, a staircase, and decorated gilded beams, while integrating contemporary furnishings. The interior design draws from botanical themes and American penthouses, balancing Pianca's clean lines with Venetian chromatic traditions—room colors include ochre yellow, sand, Siena earth, cobalt blue, and light zinc green. Custom-made pieces sit alongside iconic Pianca designs: Calatea armchairs by Cristina Celestino (2017), the Laurie chair by Calvi Brambilla (2019), the Rialto bed by Emmanuel Gallina (2018), and the Asolo sofa by Emilio Nanni. A rooftop altana offers views of St. Mark's Campanile. The hotel functions as a living lab where guests can test products over extended periods, while the brand gains insights into evolving lifestyles. Aldo Pianca, company president, stated that interventions aimed to recover as much as possible while respecting the structure's original character, blending contemporaneity and tradition.