BERNARDINO
CONTINO, a native of Lugano, was a brother-in-law of Antonio da Ponte,
who designed the new Rialto Bridge erected 1588-92. Contino himself came
to Venice in the second half of the 1500s, probably under da Ponte's sponsorship.
Contino was soon
commissioned to design Ca' Barbarigo della Terrazza on the Grand Canal.
Construction of the palace was suspended and never resumed, however,
after completion of only the left wing.
Contino also created
the two elaborate funeral monuments of the Cornaro family in the transepts
of the Church of S. Salvatore. The funeral
monument honoring the three Cardinals Cav. Proc. Francesco Cornaro
(B-60), Patriarch Marco Cornaro (B-61) and Andrea Cornaro (F-2), located
in the north transept, was created in 1570. The funeral
monument to Queen Caterina Cornaro (B-31) in the south transept,
overlooking her gravestone, dates from 1580-4.
Contino's three
sons, Antonio, Tommaso and Francesco were also notable architects.
