Tour the Palazzo
Sep. 28th, 2007 01:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kissa_biteshttp://www.themasque.net
In the time of the Doges, La Serenissima, Venice, was a world leader in ship building and international banking. Venice was famous for the notorious Casanova; the literary salons run by beautiful, dangerous courtesans; and the world-famous Carnival, where masked revelers played in streets and ballrooms all over the city.
One of the city's most famous and notorious cortigiana onesta - high courtesans - owns the palazzo that you've been invited to. Mysterious and elegant, her name is whispered down canals and squares in tones of awe and sometimes jealousy. Sometimes called a heretic, other times - a whore, she is a leader of fashion that even Venice's matriarchs emulate. She never fails to amuse the city's nobles with her literary salons and masked balls and invitations to both are highly prized.
After leaving your gondola with the aid of a uniformed servant, you enter the foyer of an elegant palazzo, just off the Grand Canal. Owned by one of the most beautiful and notorious cortigiana onesta in Venice, the palazzo is well known to be home to elegant literary salons and lavishly profane parties. Music and laughter float down the pale marble stairs, inviting guests to follow. Ancient tapestries line the walls, glowing richly in the dim light as you ascend the stairs. Men and women in ornate, outlandish costumes glide through large doors, their silks and satins glow in the warm candlelight. Their faces are hidden in traditional or fanciful works of art, made by the finest mask makers in Venice.
A song, a sonnet, a tale, a jewel under glass and gold casket; gifts from honored guests in the courtesan's home are displayed in alcoves set into walls of the staircase. In a small antechamber, velvet cloaks and sturdy chopins are guarded by a footman and maid, flirting in the few quiet moments. Jewelled fingers caress the rich mahogany handrail; cool marble stairs pass under elegantly slippered feet and rustling satin. After announcing the newest guests, the imposing majordomo guides them to the receiving line to greet The Courtesan. Played on a harpsichord with violins behind, the minuet beckons guests to join disguised cyprians, rogues, and Venetian nobility as they dance in an elegant ritual of seduction and power.The Bedroom -- Stories, poetry and pictures of romance and passionA canopied bed dominates a lovely bedroom, used by guests. Curtains of sheer, white silk fall from every side with heavier, tapastried curtains to draw when the night is cold. A gilded armoire stands to one side. Chinese rugs cushion every step in jewel colors. Next to the armoire lay a man’s pair of black shoes; a forgotten cravat rests in the corner. Thrown carelessly across the bed, a silk covered corset and stockings color the amethyst velvet cover with a glowing fuchsia. Floating ivory lotus blossoms sit atop the bedside table in a crystal bowl, next to a tall vase of blushing roses. Shuttered windows open to a view of the Grand Canal. Outside the window, a gondolier sings of lost love. The Salon -- Odes to Thamyris and Sappho in stories, poetry and pictures
A small ante-chamber lies off of the ballroom and the pale, silk lined walls display pencil sketches of Venice, Florence, Rome and Milan. Music from the ball room drifts in, a romantic minuet plays softly on the harpsichord. A gypsy in diamonds, deliberately lays card after card down before a delicate kitten in an emerald collar. Below the table, their feet are entwined. Loving smiles cross beautiful faces as they wager their favors for the night to come.The Library -- When stories of intimate couples aren’t enough stories, poetry and pictures
Soft giggles, a deep, murmured chuckle and a gasp of pleasure drift from a curtained alcove in the library. A peacock feather lies forgotten on the carpet, reputed to be brought from China by Marco Polo. Embracing in the corner are a knight in leather armor and the goddess Diana. Leather bound and cardboard backed books line the shelves and fragile scrolls are tucked neatly in others. Visible symbols of the wealth of the Courtesan, the books are gifts from admirers, each book, bound by hand in Florence. Delicate tapestried chairs are placed strategically near armchairs in green velvet and oak, offering a place to sit and read in front of the fire.The Attic -- A moment or a lifetime of service and domination stories, poetry and pictures, serves and essays
A thin staircase leads to the attic through a closed door, which opens easily with a twist of the ornate doorknob. Inside, tallow candles are waiting to be lit from a wall sconce, shining dimly in the dark. A stretching rack sits to the side, ready to do its painful work, and the leather cuffs at the head and foot of it are well oiled and supple. Golden and ivory toys, made for pleasure rest in exquisite boxes lined in velvet upon a shelf. Neatly stacked beside them are iron clamps, thin chains and coiled rope. Hanging from the wall, whips of every shape and size hang, ready to be wielded by a masterful hand. A crystal vase with a bouquet of ostrich feathers sits atop the shelves. Thornless red roses, dewy and fragrant, spill from another vase atop a school room desk in the corner.
The Conservatory - Stories and pictures of people and characters we know.In the small, enclosed balcony garden, delicate jasmine climbs high trellises; the small white starbursts glow under the midnight moon. Crimson roses, hidden in the night, fill the air with a heady scent before a cool breeze wafts down the canal through the open doors. An incautious step crushes fragrant basil. Rosemary, oregano, chives and parsley rustle in the breeze or when brushed by the hem of a black velvet domino. The courtesan, dressed in an almost sheer cotton dress, finely pleated, with a black wig covering her auburn hair, surveys her world. The gold and enamel breastplate, headdress and cuffs of an Egyptian queen gleam in the moonlight, an ivory rose twirls lightly in her hennaed fingers. She stands alone, listening to the music and laughter from the rooms below and smiles.The Kitchens -- The most exquisite food and drink in the cityThe lowermost floor contains the kitchen, bustling now with the activity of maids, footmen and the best chef in Venice, seduced away from a dowager duchess. Black marble counters gleam in the light of several wall sconces. On one counter are stacks of fine, opaque white china dishes, glittering crystal glasses and champagne flutes. Another counter is covered in bottles and decanters of all shapes and sizes, red and white wines, brandies and exotic liqueurs. In the corner on a tall wooden pedestal stands a book of recipes, all written in a lovely hand. Each page lists the favorite dishes and drinks of guests and friends of the courtesan.
Please feel welcome to join the ball in the chatroom and to add your own orignal work to the archives.
In the time of the Doges, La Serenissima, Venice, was a world leader in ship building and international banking. Venice was famous for the notorious Casanova; the literary salons run by beautiful, dangerous courtesans; and the world-famous Carnival, where masked revelers played in streets and ballrooms all over the city.
One of the city's most famous and notorious cortigiana onesta - high courtesans - owns the palazzo that you've been invited to. Mysterious and elegant, her name is whispered down canals and squares in tones of awe and sometimes jealousy. Sometimes called a heretic, other times - a whore, she is a leader of fashion that even Venice's matriarchs emulate. She never fails to amuse the city's nobles with her literary salons and masked balls and invitations to both are highly prized.
After leaving your gondola with the aid of a uniformed servant, you enter the foyer of an elegant palazzo, just off the Grand Canal. Owned by one of the most beautiful and notorious cortigiana onesta in Venice, the palazzo is well known to be home to elegant literary salons and lavishly profane parties. Music and laughter float down the pale marble stairs, inviting guests to follow. Ancient tapestries line the walls, glowing richly in the dim light as you ascend the stairs. Men and women in ornate, outlandish costumes glide through large doors, their silks and satins glow in the warm candlelight. Their faces are hidden in traditional or fanciful works of art, made by the finest mask makers in Venice.
A song, a sonnet, a tale, a jewel under glass and gold casket; gifts from honored guests in the courtesan's home are displayed in alcoves set into walls of the staircase. In a small antechamber, velvet cloaks and sturdy chopins are guarded by a footman and maid, flirting in the few quiet moments. Jewelled fingers caress the rich mahogany handrail; cool marble stairs pass under elegantly slippered feet and rustling satin. After announcing the newest guests, the imposing majordomo guides them to the receiving line to greet The Courtesan. Played on a harpsichord with violins behind, the minuet beckons guests to join disguised cyprians, rogues, and Venetian nobility as they dance in an elegant ritual of seduction and power.The Bedroom -- Stories, poetry and pictures of romance and passionA canopied bed dominates a lovely bedroom, used by guests. Curtains of sheer, white silk fall from every side with heavier, tapastried curtains to draw when the night is cold. A gilded armoire stands to one side. Chinese rugs cushion every step in jewel colors. Next to the armoire lay a man’s pair of black shoes; a forgotten cravat rests in the corner. Thrown carelessly across the bed, a silk covered corset and stockings color the amethyst velvet cover with a glowing fuchsia. Floating ivory lotus blossoms sit atop the bedside table in a crystal bowl, next to a tall vase of blushing roses. Shuttered windows open to a view of the Grand Canal. Outside the window, a gondolier sings of lost love. The Salon -- Odes to Thamyris and Sappho in stories, poetry and pictures
A small ante-chamber lies off of the ballroom and the pale, silk lined walls display pencil sketches of Venice, Florence, Rome and Milan. Music from the ball room drifts in, a romantic minuet plays softly on the harpsichord. A gypsy in diamonds, deliberately lays card after card down before a delicate kitten in an emerald collar. Below the table, their feet are entwined. Loving smiles cross beautiful faces as they wager their favors for the night to come.The Library -- When stories of intimate couples aren’t enough stories, poetry and pictures
Soft giggles, a deep, murmured chuckle and a gasp of pleasure drift from a curtained alcove in the library. A peacock feather lies forgotten on the carpet, reputed to be brought from China by Marco Polo. Embracing in the corner are a knight in leather armor and the goddess Diana. Leather bound and cardboard backed books line the shelves and fragile scrolls are tucked neatly in others. Visible symbols of the wealth of the Courtesan, the books are gifts from admirers, each book, bound by hand in Florence. Delicate tapestried chairs are placed strategically near armchairs in green velvet and oak, offering a place to sit and read in front of the fire.The Attic -- A moment or a lifetime of service and domination stories, poetry and pictures, serves and essays
A thin staircase leads to the attic through a closed door, which opens easily with a twist of the ornate doorknob. Inside, tallow candles are waiting to be lit from a wall sconce, shining dimly in the dark. A stretching rack sits to the side, ready to do its painful work, and the leather cuffs at the head and foot of it are well oiled and supple. Golden and ivory toys, made for pleasure rest in exquisite boxes lined in velvet upon a shelf. Neatly stacked beside them are iron clamps, thin chains and coiled rope. Hanging from the wall, whips of every shape and size hang, ready to be wielded by a masterful hand. A crystal vase with a bouquet of ostrich feathers sits atop the shelves. Thornless red roses, dewy and fragrant, spill from another vase atop a school room desk in the corner.
The Conservatory - Stories and pictures of people and characters we know.In the small, enclosed balcony garden, delicate jasmine climbs high trellises; the small white starbursts glow under the midnight moon. Crimson roses, hidden in the night, fill the air with a heady scent before a cool breeze wafts down the canal through the open doors. An incautious step crushes fragrant basil. Rosemary, oregano, chives and parsley rustle in the breeze or when brushed by the hem of a black velvet domino. The courtesan, dressed in an almost sheer cotton dress, finely pleated, with a black wig covering her auburn hair, surveys her world. The gold and enamel breastplate, headdress and cuffs of an Egyptian queen gleam in the moonlight, an ivory rose twirls lightly in her hennaed fingers. She stands alone, listening to the music and laughter from the rooms below and smiles.The Kitchens -- The most exquisite food and drink in the cityThe lowermost floor contains the kitchen, bustling now with the activity of maids, footmen and the best chef in Venice, seduced away from a dowager duchess. Black marble counters gleam in the light of several wall sconces. On one counter are stacks of fine, opaque white china dishes, glittering crystal glasses and champagne flutes. Another counter is covered in bottles and decanters of all shapes and sizes, red and white wines, brandies and exotic liqueurs. In the corner on a tall wooden pedestal stands a book of recipes, all written in a lovely hand. Each page lists the favorite dishes and drinks of guests and friends of the courtesan.
Please feel welcome to join the ball in the chatroom and to add your own orignal work to the archives.
