Ridotto Pubblico

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

The first authorized gambling house was the Ridotto Pubblico, which was a wing of the Palazzo Dandolo near the church of San Moise. (Figure 1) In 1638, Marco Dandolo obtained permission from the Republic to keep a public gaming house in his palazzo there. Being aware of the useless bans on gambling, the Republic hoped to use legalization to control the gaming that expanded not only in private ridotti but also in locande (inns) that had rooms adapted for that function.1 The location of the Ridotto was close to the Piazza San Marco, and it had both land and the canal access, so people could enter it by foot or boat. (Figure 2) In the Ridotto Pubblico, “there were some ten rooms for gaming, each of which was presided over by a member of the aristocracy, and two refreshment rooms, one offering teas, coffee and chocolate, and the other fruit, biscuit, and wine.” 2(Figure 3) The idea of this four-floor gambling house was to keep the gamblers happy by making the most comfortable and cozy space for them.

During the six months of Carnival season in the Venetian year, people would populate the whole city and the area near San Marco would be one of the most popular spots. Being close to the Piazza San Marco allowed the Ridotto Pubblico to attract numerous visitors to play games, thus the government and the Dandolo family would make a huge profit. Inside the building, there was a significant decorative program of frescoes and stuccos, and the main room was decorated with a fresco of the triumph of Bacchus. Through those details of decoration as well as attentive service, the architecture created a luxurious and glorious atmosphere. It was a reflection of the shifted attitudes of the authorities toward gambling: once they decided to legalize it as an effective way raise revenue, they made every effort to control this activity.