Tintoretto's House Monument

Tintoretto's House, in the footsteps of the painter in Cannaregio

Tintoretto's House is located at No. 3399 on the Mori quay (Fondamenta dei Mori), near Campo dei Mori, in one of the quietest districts of Cannaregio. This tall red-brick Gothic house is easily overlooked, yet it was for twenty years the home of Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, one of the greatest Venetian painters of the 16th century.

Tintoretto bought the house in 1574 and settled there with his family and his workshop. He remained there until his death in 1594. His children thus grew up in a true artistic environment: Domenico Robusti became his main collaborator and continued the family workshop's activity, while his daughter Marietta, known as Tintoretta, also gained a reputation as a painter, especially as a portraitist.

The location is particularly interesting. Just a few minutes away is the Church of the Madonna dell’Orto, where Tintoretto created several major works, including the monumental Last Judgment and The Adoration of the Golden Calf. The painter was also buried there in 1594. Around Campo dei Mori, a true Tintoretto itinerary thus takes shape, linking his home, his daily environment, and one of the most important churches of his career.

The building itself dates from the 15th century and retains several characteristic features of Venetian Gothic. Its narrow, asymmetrical facade is notably pierced, on the main floor, by an elegant three-light window with trilobed arches.

A commemorative plaque affixed in 1842, accompanied by a medallion depicting the painter, reminds passersby of the identity of its famous resident.

Even more curious is the small statue of Hercules armed with a club visible on the facade. Its exact origin is not established, but local tradition directly associates it with Tintoretto and a legend featuring his daughter Marietta.

Tintoretto's House is today a private residence and cannot be visited as a museum. The stop is therefore mainly of interest from the outside: observing the facade, spotting the plaque and the Hercules, then placing the building in its context of quays, canals, and small squares.

Just a few steps away are also the astonishing statues of Campo dei Mori and the Palazzo Mastelli del Cammello. Tintoretto's House thus fits perfectly into a walk in northern Cannaregio: a short visit, but one that places an immense name in art history in the district where he lived, worked, and ended his life.

Sources and further information

Catalogo Generale dei Beni Culturali - Casa di Jacopo Tintoretto ; Treccani - Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto ; Venezia Unica - Cannaregio.