The Ca' d'Oro has long been regarded as the best-surviving palazzo in Venetian Gothic architecture, retaining all the most characteristic features, despite some losses.

On the facade, the loggia-like window group of closely spaced small columns, with heavy tracery and quatrefoil openings above, use the formula from the Doge's Palace that had become iconic.

Marino Contarini used the building of the Ca' d'Oro, as a way to assert his family's place in Venetian society and express their wealth and status.

[1][4] Matteo Raverti's notable contributions to the Ca' d'Oro include the tracery of the main loggia and the ogee-arched tympanum over the land entrance.

[4] One of the Ca' d'Oro's distinguishing features is its asymmetrical facade, designed to maximize light in rooms where side windows were impractical due to the proximity of neighboring buildings.

[4] The atrium was historically used for receiving and exporting shipments, reflecting the common practice among noble Venetian families who derived their wealth from trade.

[4] Above the atrium is the gran salone or main reception hall, that occupies the piano nobile (noble floor) and is fronted by the most ornate of the three loggias, featuring intricate Gothic quatrefoil tracery attributed to Matteo Raverti.

[4] The layout prioritizes privacy and hierarchy, with the family’s private spaces were elevated above the more public reception and trading areas.

[6] On the ground floor, a recessed colonnaded loggia gives access to the entrance hall (portego de mezo) directly from the canal.

The scalloped cusping of the pointed arches allows for a contrapuntal effect, while the window's tracery patterns on the right side of the palace reflect Gothic elements.

[4] This combination of practical design and opulent decoration underscores the dual purpose of the Ca' d'Oro as both a functional space and a display of wealth and status.

[4] Over time, sun exposure dulled the white and pale red stone has worn away and the facade's gilded elements are no longer evident.

[1][6] In fact, by 1600, no more gold decoration remained on the exterior, but with the palace's golden façade was already sp well-known that it retained the title of Ca' d'Oro.

[2] Along with his project of restorating of the Ca' d'Oro, Baron Giorgio Franchetti donated the building to the public in 1916 and it was converted into a museum (see Provenance section below).

Some of the architectural elements that had been sold by Marie Taglioni were recovered by Franchetti, such as the red Verona marble wellhead by Bartolomeo Bon.

[2] Throughout his lifetime, he amassed an important art collection and personally oversaw its extensive restoration, including the reconstruction of the stairway and the Cosmatesque courtyard with ancient marble.