Nine bedrooms, seven untimely deaths: can cursed' Venice palace finally attract a buyer?

"Primely positioned on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice, just steps away from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the storied Palazzo Ca' Dario has shimmered on the water since the late 15th century, its elegant early Venetian Renaissance facade among the city's most distinctive. Named after its first owner, Giovanni Dario, a diplomat hailed a hero after securing a peace treaty with the Ottoman empire, over the centuries the palazzo has been home to nobles, merchants and even British rock music royalty."

"Palazzo Ca' Dario (right) lies on the right bank at the end of the Grand Canal, next to the Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff. Photograph: Giorgio Morara/Alamy But the sprawling building, which comes with nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms and grand reception rooms filled with frescoes, has proved stubbornly difficult to sell and not necessarily because buyers have been spooked by its price tag, reportedly 20m (17.4m)."

"Estate agents have struggled to overcome its reputation as Venice's cursed palace owing to a string of owners and guests who met untimely, and in some cases violent, deaths. Now freshly renovated, the sale of Palazzo Ca' Dario has been given another push, the challenge entrusted to the Venice unit of Christie's International Real Estate and Engel & Volkers. Christie's describes the building as an architectural gem boasting gothic arches, antique Murano chandeliers and a loggia terrace,"

Palazzo Ca' Dario sits on the Grand Canal in Venice beside the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and dates to the late 15th century, featuring an early Venetian Renaissance facade. The palazzo was named for Giovanni Dario and has housed nobles, merchants and British rock royalty; Claude Monet painted it in 1908 and Henry James mentioned it in 1909. The property includes nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms and frescoed reception rooms, and has been listed at about 20m (17.4m). Renovation preceded a relaunch by Christie's International Real Estate and Engel & Volkers. The palazzo carries a local reputation for a curse tied to several untimely and violent deaths, including a 1970 murder of then owner Count Filippo Giordano delle Lanze.

Read at www.theguardian.com