THE CURATED EDITION.
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On the Giudecca, the restored Palladio complex combines historic rooms, gardens and a short crossing to San Marco.
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Venice acquires a new Airelles address on the Giudecca, where the restored Palladio complex turns a historic setting into a hotel surrounded by gardens. San Marco is only a short crossing away, but the island gives the stay a different rhythm from the streets on the opposite shore.
The project brings together four historic buildings, including the sixteenth-century Palladio building, Villa Frollo and the Conventino. Its 45 keys comprise 17 rooms and 28 suites, alongside a three-bedroom private villa. Frescoes, antiques and fabrics by Rubelli and Fortuny give the interiors a specifically Venetian vocabulary rather than a generic period finish.
Gardens and three pools extend the experience outdoors. The announced programme also envisages privileged encounters with Venice, from palace visits to after-hours cultural experiences, subject to availability. Dining brings Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s abc kitchens, Norbert Niederkofler, Nobu Matsuhisa and Cédric Grolet into the same address.
The attraction is the combination: a restored architectural ensemble, room to spend time outside and access to the city without having to remain in its busiest streets throughout the day.
The ensemble matters more than an invented idea of one palace. Airelles’ account places the Palladio building, Villa Frollo and Conventino within different chapters of Giudecca’s history. Keeping those identities legible gives the conversion a richer subject than a decorative period repeated throughout.
Gardens change the spatial experience too. In a city frequently encountered through narrow streets and crossings, outdoor space within the property provides another rhythm. It should complement time in Venice rather than reduce the lagoon to a view from the room.
The current dining presentation distinguishes abc kitchens, Villa Frollo by Norbert Niederkofler, Matsuhisa and Cédric Grolet. Their names introduce different culinary registers, not one uniform identity. A chef’s name also does not mean that every meal is cooked personally by that chef.
Choosing Giudecca means choosing a relationship with the water. Crossings and arrival arrangements belong in the plan from the beginning. The attraction is a change of shore, with restaurants offering another reason to travel across, subject to their individual arrangements.
Details and further reading: Airelles Palladio · The buildings and their history.
Instagram: @airellesvenice.
GABRIEL SILVEIRADO, FOR WAYFARER.
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