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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
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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- Print length408 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThames & Hudson
- Publication dateSeptember 5, 2017
- Dimensions6.4 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-100500518661
- ISBN-13978-0500518663
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Editorial Reviews
Review
― 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
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
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,760,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #328 in Historical Italy Biographies
- #4,584 in Rich & Famous Biographies
- #18,620 in Women's Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

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Customer reviews
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers 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.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
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
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
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
Reviews with images
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And inspiring escape to my favorite city
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2017This 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!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2017A 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020The media could not be loaded.
5.0 out of 5 starsThis 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 enjoymentAnd inspiring escape to my favorite city
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017The 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!
- Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017Most 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.
5.0 out of 5 starsMost 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.Wild Women High on Money
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2019This 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, 2020A 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, 2017This 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"
Top reviews from other countries
- CoolcatReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful portrait of a house and three women who owned it
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.Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Good book
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Adela MaraReviewed in Italy on February 7, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Venezia del '900
Un libro molto bene documentato! Una lettura molto cattivante e piacevole su '900 Europeo
- Jeremy VeversReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2019
4.0 out of 5 stars A very enjoyable read
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.
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Cliente AmazonReviewed in Italy on May 26, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Storia di questo palazzo dove hanno vissute tre donne con un incredibile personalità.
Un romanzo autobiografico interessante e divertente. Ottimo