Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo
building in Venice, Italy
Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo, also known as Palazzo Contarini Polignac, is a large palace in Venice, located in the Dorsoduro district, overlooking the Grand Canal, in an intermediate position between Palazzo Brandolin Rota and Palazzo Balbi Valier.
Attribution
The palazzo was probably built in the second half of the 15th century. The architect of the palazzo is unknown, but the design is frequently attributed to Giovanni Buora, Mauro Codussi, or Pietro Lombardo. The architect was most likely inspired by the Lombard architectural style. Together with Palazzo Dario the building is one of the first examples of Renaissance architecture structures in the city.
History
The Contarini dal Zaffo family, which owned many other famous palazzos, rebuilt the structure between 1562 and 1582 without altering its exterior. The palazzo was named after Giorgio Contarini, who was Count of Jaffa (Zaffo) in Palestine. Since 1758, the building was owned by several wealthy families: first by the Manzoni, then by the Angaran, and then by the Polignac. In 1901, the building was bought by Winaretta Singer, who was the daughter of Isaac Singer and the Princess of Polignac. Because of the Polignac's ownership, the palace bears its double name of Contarini Polignac.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo” as building in Venice, Italy. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as building in Venice, Italy. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3889924. The first chronological checks are 1562, 1582, 1758 and 1901.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo primary sources, Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo archive and Palazzo research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Palazzo Contarini Dal Zaffo” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.