Palace of Venice

The Venice Palace is a palace located in Istanbul, Turkey; it served first as the headquarters of the Venetian Bailiwick and later as the Austrian Embassy. Today, it is the residence of the Italian Ambassador to Turkey in Istanbul.

In 1853, Baron Karl von Bruck had the building restored, followed by renovation works commissioned by Ambassador Heinrich von Calice in 1887 and Ambassador Johann von Pallavicini in 1908. Following the victory over the Habsburg Empire in the First World War, Count Carlo Sforza, the Italian High Commissioner responsible for implementing the armistice signed with the Ottoman Empire on 1 December 1918, claimed ownership of the palace and had it occupied by a number of Italian sailors. The High Commissioner did not take up residence in the Palazzo di Venezia until 27 March 1919. From that date until the present day, the building has remained the property of the Italian State.

The establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 and the designation of Ankara as the capital led to the relocation of diplomatic missions from the Straits to this Anatolian city. In 1936, the Italian diplomatic mission also moved to the new capital, and the Palazzo di Venezia became the residence of the Italian Ambassador to Turkey in Istanbul.