Casa Bembo is a range of modern buildings, some of which occupy, I
believe, the site of the palace once inhabited by the Doge Henry
Dandolo. Fragments of early architecture of the Byzantine school may
still be traced in many places among their foundations, and two doors
in the foundation of the Casa Bembo itself belong to the same group.
There is only one existing palace, however, of any value, on this
spot, a very small but rich Gothic one of about 1300, with two groups
of fourth order windows in its second and third stories, and some
Byzantine circular mouldings built into it above. This is still
reported to have belonged to the family of Dandolo, and ought to be
carefully preserved, as it is one of the most interesting and ancient
Gothic palaces which yet remain.

DANIELI, ALBERGO. See Nani.

DA PONTE, PALAZZO. Of no interest.

DARIO, PALAZZO, I. 370; III. 211.

DOGANA DI MARE, at the separation of the Grand Canal from the Giudecca.
A barbarous building of the time of the Grotesque Renaissance (1676),
rendered interesting only by its position. The statue of Fortune,
forming the weathercock, standing on the world, is alike
characteristic of the conceits of the time, and of the hopes and
principles of the last days of Venice.

DONATO, CHURCH OF ST., at Murano, II. 31.

DONA', PALAZZO, on the Grand Canal. I believe the palace described under
this name as of the twelfth century, by M. Lazari, is that which I
have called the Braided House, II. 132, 392.

D'ORO CASA. A noble pile of very quaint Gothic, once superb in general
effect, but now destroyed by restorations. I saw the beautiful slabs
of red marble, which formed the bases of its balconies, and were
carved into noble spiral mouldings of strange sections, half a foot
deep, dashed to pieces when I was last in Venice; its glorious
interior staircase, by far the most interesting Gothic monument of the
kind in Venice, had been carried away, piece by piece, and sold for
waste marble, two years before. Of what remains, the most beautiful
portions are, or were, when I last saw them, the capitals of the
windows in the upper story, most glorious sculpture of the fourteenth
century. The fantastic window traceries are, I think, later; but the
rest of the architecture of this palace is anomalous, and I cannot
venture to give any decided opinion respecting it. Parts of its