The French presence has always brought charm and elegance to our city, especially in the last decades, thanks to specific actions and huge investments made for protecting and enhancing the value of important works of Venetian history.
We must thank the generosity and vision of one of these contemporary patrons, Madame Nicole Bru, if Venice has rediscovered one of its precious art and architectural works; and the cultural life of Venetians has been given new impetus.
In San Polo neighbourhood, just a few steps from Scuola San Giovanni Evangelista and not far from Scuola di San Rocco, we can find Palazzetto Bru Zane – the French Romantic Music Centre – overlooking Rio Marin. It is a secluded place, which evokes grandeur and is as charming and prestigious as the most famous and renowned city musical academies.
Built at the end of the seventeenth century as a place of leisure for the Zane family, the casino, of the same name, was considered to be one of the most famous active “foyers” in the city.
Between the sixth and the eighth century, the Venetian casinos represented a real civilization of pleasure and leisure, which involved all social classes: they were places for amorous encounters and gambling; but the ones frequented by the noble class were authentic literary and musical salons.
After a major restoration, The Bru Foundantion has recovered this fantastic example of “barocchetto” style – almost a treasure chest full of frescoes, stucco works, wooden sculptures and trompe l’oeil – and given it back to the original musical vocation of the Casino Zane.
The main goal of this very active centre is to recover and divulge a certain musical repertoire, which has not been appreciated much so far, that is the French romantic music between the nineteenth and twentieth century. The Palazzetto Bru Zane concert season consists of two festivals, one takes place in spring and the second one in autumn. In winter, the foundation continues to organise concerts and conferences in Venice and other European cities whilst collaborating with important institutions.
Its prestigious publishing activity is not only limited to music, but covers a wide range of fields: literature, art and entertainment. Rare editions of music scores and recordings of musical projects make the work of the Foundation even more remarkable, as well as the didactic vocation, which makes its projects stand out: an example among the others is Budding Romantics, a programme to introduce kindergarten and primary school children to classical music.
Palazzetto Bru Zane
French Romantic Music Centre
San Polo 2368 – 30125 Venezia
phone: +39 041 52 11 005
F.B.
