The “all'antica” shape of Venetian chimneys: the obelisk

Abstract

The main façade of some of the most important palaces built in Venice along the Grand Canal in the 16th and 17th centuries is crowned by two tall obelisks. The rich architectural Venetian historiography considers them as ornaments. Instead, in origin – as is demonstrated in this essay – they were used as chimneys: the shape of an obelisk is the translation into the "all'antica" style of the, well-known, "Carpaccio" chimney. In the development of the Venetian architectural culture referring to "Antiquity", the problem of architectural chimneys developed in two different ways: the first tried, with every artifice, to remove the chimney from the view of the facade; the second conceived an architectural paradigm where the chimney became a fundamental element of the composition. The two opposite solution now face each other on the Grand Canal, and highlight two different ways of conceiving the principles of "utilitas" and "venustas”. Key words: Venice, Venetian Palaces, Renaissance, Treatises, Chimney