The palace on the Grand Canal of the Count of Carmagnola beheaded for treason

Next to the San Stae stop on the Grand Canal in Venice there is a garden looking bleak and abandoned. In 1415 there was once a palace which the Signoria of Venice gave to Francesco Bussone, the Count of Carmagnola, who was the army commander of the Venice Republic. However, this favour did not last long as the Signoria of Venice ordered him to be beheaded in St Mark's Square after one month in prison on charges of treason. This issue dates back to the victorious battle of Maclodio when Carmagnola inexplicably freed many Milanese prisoners and so showing he was still linked to the Duke of Milan, who he had served before moving to serve for the Venetian Republic.

In 1820, Alessandro Manzoni wrote a famous tragedy on this unfortunate character, in which he described Carmagnola as an innocent victim of envy of others. From recent historical studies it seems that the Count actually betrayed the Republic of Venice for money of the Milanese people.

His palace passed through various hands and was renovated several times until the 1800's, when it was owned by the prestigious Contarini family and completely destroyed by a fire .... The Curse of the Count of Carmagnola had struck again! Now all that survives is the garden, one of the few remaining on the Grand Canal.