Palazzo del Casinò

The monumental building of the Palazzo del Casinò was designed by the Chief Engineer of the City of Venice Eugenio Miozzi in the Rationalist style, influenced by the Fascist architecture of the 1930s and built in the record time of 8 months in 1938. Compared to the austere façade clad in travertine, the interiors of the Palazzo featured spaces on every floor decorated with marble, mosaic and artistic glass from the finest glasshouses in Murano, designated as gambling rooms, dining rooms and cafés, and for entertainment areas. A large entrance hall greeted guests who could use the monumental staircase or three large elevators to reach the gambling rooms and terraces on the upper floors. Coming from Venice, one entered through a long hallway decorated with mirrors and curtains leading to the monumental staircase and served by elevators. The Casinò was closed in the late 1990s, and the Palazzo has since been used by the Biennale for the Venice International Film Festival, mainly to house press services and as a venue for screenings for the public and professional visitors.