The building began as a private palace and appears on Jacopo de' Barbari's map of 1500. The article names Giacomo Palmier as commissioner but also says scholars are unsure of the patron and architect, and gives no construction date. Early plans signed by Cesare Torello date to 1600 or 1601. It was sold to Antonio Priuli in 1602, or 1621 by some sources.
The article describes a classical Venetian style with Byzantine, Renaissance and Islamic influences, including horseshoe arches and merlons. It was a trading house for Turkish merchants until 1838. The government rebuilt it in 1869, and only the canal facade survives.
It houses the Natural History Museum of Venice. The library is open to the public, and the article gives no hours or ticket details.
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