Fondaco dei Turchi

[3] To complicate matters, Pope Clement VIII (r. 1592–1605) seized the city of Ferrara and sent his nephew, Pietro Aldobrandini, who had become a cardinal in 1593, to occupy the palace, which he did in 1598.

"[4] The Ottoman imported much needed supplies, like wheat, but also goods like cotton, raw silk, leather, spices, and calcined ashes, a core ingredient for the glass makers of Murano.

[6] Venetian merchants opened extensive trade networks, importing spices, silk, and other commodities from the East in return for fine textiles manufactured to Ottoman tastes.

[6] They served as intermediaries who imported essential raw materials like silk and spices into Venice while exporting Venetian textiles to the Ottoman Empire.

[6] Ottoman influence shaped Venetian production, ensuring goods aligned with Eastern preferences, which further cemented Venice's role as a dynamic trading hub in the Mediterranean.

[3] With notations such as Fondamenta Sopra il Rio, Canal Grand and the Cale del Traghetto a San Marcuola on the plans helps to understand the precise boundaries today.

[3] The undated drawings were signed by Cesare Torello (known as Franco), a draftsman, stonemason, architect, and surveyor who is document in both Venice and Padua between 1578 and 1606.

[2] Long term relations with the East through trade and shared cultural interests, are reflected in its Islamic influenced architecture.

[7] In Jacopo de' Barbari, Bird's-Eye View Map of Venice, from 1500, most buildings are still recognizable today, including the Fondaco dei Turchi.

[8][2] These influences created a unique style found on many iconic structures, such as the façades of Ca' d'Oro and Fondaco dei Turchi.

[8] Classical and Roman architectural elements, on the façade of the Fondaco dei Turchi, include medallions, such as found on the entrance, and columns.

[10] Another element found is Islamic architecture and an essential focus of the plan of the Fondaco dei Turchi is its central courtyard.