This postcard depicts three of the most famous Venetian palaces overlooking the Grand Canal, in the Dorsoduro district.

The first building on the left is a house on the Rio della Fornace that, in the 18th century, was a very active brick factory, or kiln.

At the center stands Palazzo Barbaro Wolkoff. Originally built according to the Venetian-Byzantine architectural style, the building was later renovated with the addition of Gothic elements during the 15th century. In 1894, Eleonora Duse lived on the top floor of the palace.

The last palace on the right is Palazzo Dario (or Ca’ Dario). The building is famous for the alleged curse said to hang over it: according to legend, its owners are destined to go bankrupt or die a violent death. The palace was commissioned from the architect Pietro Lombardo in 1479 by Giovanni Dario as a wedding gift for his daughter Marietta. The architectural beauty of Ca’ Dario contrasts with its reputation as a cursed palace—a name earned through the tragic fate shared by many of its owners.