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The Unfinished Palazzo: Life, Love and Art in Venice: The Stories of Luisa Casati, Doris Castlerosse and Peggy Guggenheim Hardcover – Illustrated, September 5, 2017

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 561 ratings

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The story of Venice’s “Unfinished Palazzo”― told through the lives of three of its most unconventional, passionate, and fascinating residents: Luisa Casati, Doris Castlerosse, and Peggy Guggenheim

Commissioned in 1750, the Palazzo Venier was planned as a testimony to the power and wealth of a great Venetian family, but the fortunes of the Veniers waned midconstruction and the project was abandoned. Empty, unfinished, and decaying, the building was considered an eyesore until the early twentieth century when it attracted and inspired three women at key moments in their lives: Luisa Casati, Doris Castlerosse, and Peggy Guggenheim.

Luisa Casati turned her home into an aesthete’s fantasy where she hosted parties as extravagant and decadent as Renaissance court operas, spending small fortunes on her own costumes in her quest to become a “living work of art” and muse. Doris Castlerosse strove to make her mark in London and Venice during the glamorous, hedonistic interwar years, hosting film stars and royalty at glittering parties. In the postwar years, Peggy Gugenheim turned the Palazzo into a model of modernist simplicity that served as a home for her exquisite collection of modern art that today draws tourists and art lovers from around the world. Each vivid life story is accompanied by previously unseen materials from family archives, weaving an intricate history of these legendary art world eccentrics.

69 illustrations
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Unfinished Palazzo tells the stories of notoriously eccentric women: the Marchesa Luisa Casati, from Milan, a champion exhibitionist who considered her life (and especially her person) to be a work of art; Doris, Lady Castlerosse, an Englishwoman whose lovers included both Winston Churchill and his son, Randolph; and finally [Peggy] Guggenheim, the American art patron who bequeathed the mansion to her family's foundation as a museum of modern art. … Their life stories are flashy, a kaleidoscope of bad marriages, bad divorces, Fortuny dresses, outlandish costume parties, fashionable portraits, excessive champagne, famous lovers, pickup lovers, alienated children and overlapping celebrity acquaintances. … In more enlightened times these women might have had solid accomplishments…but Mackrell's documentation of their relentless self-absorption and unfiltered vanity argues against it."
The New York Times Book Review

"Skillfully weaves historical details into absorbing biographical profiles while also capturing the charm of Venice… Mackrell explores [the] eventful lives [of] three remarkable women [who] differed in many ways, but points out their similarities in motivation, independence, daring unconventionality, and historic roles in Venice and social culture. Her astute commentary is particularly illuminating, enlarging the reader's understanding of these individuals and the larger framework of their worlds. Well-chosen photographs and comprehensive notes and bibliography enhance the volume."
Library Journal

"Thoughtful, gracefully written and engaging… Like Paris, Venice is a subject rife with cliché. Ms. Mackrell sidesteps this pitfall by focusing on one tiny part of the city. By book's end, the complexly fated, much-altered Venier comes to seem a mirror of its occupants. Self-­realization is often bound up with real estate, and rarely more so than at the
palazzo non finito."
The Wall Street Journal

"A breathtaking social portrait, peeling the glitter from privileged lives even as it fleshes out the spectacle they created."
The Washington Post

About the Author

Judith Mackrell is a dance critic and author.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thames & Hudson; Illustrated edition (September 5, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 408 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0500518661
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0500518663
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 561 ratings

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Judith Mackrell
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
561 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and inspiring. They describe it as an easy read that is well-written and captivating. The historical content is presented through historical events and art history, which customers enjoy.

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17 customers mention "Pacing"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and interesting. They describe it as a great historical novel with great photos.

"This book is absolutely captivating - it's very well written. I love how Judith Mackrell found these stories - and so elegantly wove them together...." Read more

"A fascinating story of three incredible and ambitious women who all achieved their moment in the sun and suffered an ignominious death...." Read more

"Most people’s actions are limited by a lack of money. This is an excellent case study of what three women did when they had a seemingly unlimited..." Read more

"This is a great introduction to the lives of three very interesting women who were at the edge of modernity for each one's respective time." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written. They say it's a good, captivating read.

"This book is absolutely captivating - it's very well written. I love how Judith Mackrell found these stories - and so elegantly wove them together...." Read more

"It was a good book. They were interesting women." Read more

"Devoured this book!!!" Read more

"Easy Read..." Read more

3 customers mention "Historical content"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the historical content. They appreciate the cultural aspects presented through historical events, and they love Venice, a time period in art history.

"...A great historical biography." Read more

"...life gone bye.... 3 strong women in charge... culture , presented through historical events.... loved it!" Read more

"For anyone that loves Venice, the time period in art history...." Read more

And inspiring escape to my favorite city
5 out of 5 stars
And inspiring escape to my favorite city
This book brought to life one of my favorite cities in the world through the lens of three incredible women at a time when I can’t travel purely extraordinary enjoyment
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2017
    This book is absolutely captivating - it's very well written. I love how Judith Mackrell found these stories - and so elegantly wove them together. This book is an absolute gem - I am enjoying every page. I hope she writes another one soon!
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2017
    A fascinating story of three incredible and ambitious women who all achieved their moment in the sun and suffered an ignominious death.
    Only one, Peggy Guggenheim left an everlasting legacy. There story is told around life Venice and the Palazzo they all once occupied, now the Guggenheim museum. A great historical biography.
    17 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020
    The media could not be loaded.
    This book brought to life one of my favorite cities in the world through the lens of three incredible women at a time when I can’t travel purely extraordinary enjoyment
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    And inspiring escape to my favorite city

    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020
    This book brought to life one of my favorite cities in the world through the lens of three incredible women at a time when I can’t travel purely extraordinary enjoyment
    Images in this review
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    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017
    The unique way the story of three women revolved around an architectural structure was a different format than usual. I have been there but knew none of this history. I was there for the art!
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017
    Most people’s actions are limited by a lack of money. This is an excellent case study of what three women did when they had a seemingly unlimited amount of money. Spoiler Alert: happiness did not necessarily ensue. For a dirt-dishing follow-up on the Peggy Guggenheim Museum saga see The City of Falling Angels.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Wild Women High on Money

    Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017
    Most people’s actions are limited by a lack of money. This is an excellent case study of what three women did when they had a seemingly unlimited amount of money. Spoiler Alert: happiness did not necessarily ensue. For a dirt-dishing follow-up on the Peggy Guggenheim Museum saga see The City of Falling Angels.
    Images in this review
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    22 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2019
    This is a great introduction to the lives of three very interesting women who were at the edge of modernity for each one's respective time.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020
    A wonderful insight in a life gone bye.... 3 strong women in charge... culture , presented through historical events.... loved it!
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2017
    This book traced the lives of 3 very unusual women - all very eccentric in their way and with lax morals, but the 2nd character was during the same period as "The Riviera Set" so tied in well. I enjoyed this book, but it may not be everyone's "cup of tea"
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Coolcat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful portrait of a house and three women who owned it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2020
    I bought this book after visiting the Peggy Guggenheim collection in Venice. I wish I'd read it before I went. It really would have made my visit so much more interesting (though the collection is well worth a visit). The palazzo in which the collection is housed has a most remarkable history. This book describes three women who owned it, one after the other between World War 1 and the present, the third being Peggy Guggenheim. Judith Mackrell writes their story entertainingly but also in depth based on extensive research .
  • Sherri P.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
    Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2018
    Good book
  • Adela Mara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Venezia del '900
    Reviewed in Italy on February 7, 2019
    Un libro molto bene documentato! Una lettura molto cattivante e piacevole su '900 Europeo
  • Jeremy Vevers
    4.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2019
    This was well written and full of gossipy stuff with one major revelation in it! Having been to the Guggenheim I was curious to know more about Peggy and what better book than this? Here is the opportunity to read about three fascinating women with at least one vital thing in common: they all owned the same patch in Venice that is now the Guggenheim. I would highly recommend this as a holiday read or anywhere, especially if you need to escape into that heady world where, on the whole, money was no problem, well not till it was all too late.
  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Storia di questo palazzo dove hanno vissute tre donne con un incredibile personalità.
    Reviewed in Italy on May 26, 2019
    Un romanzo autobiografico interessante e divertente. Ottimo