The Birth Home of Titian

The family home in which Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) was born can be found in Pieve di Cadore. This escaped the destruction and reprisals inflicted by German soldiers during the War of the League of Cambrai. It is a 15th century sturdy Cadore building. When it was built it would have been a typical dwelling of a distinguished local family, which included several members holding prestigious positions: members of the local council, notaries and timber merchants.

The current condition of the building is the result of works by the Magnifica Comunità of Cadore – owners of the building – who commissioned G. Palatini. These were carried out between 1928 and 1930 and included the demolition of a front extension which was added in the late 1700s by later owners. This extension effectively obscured the original façade and changed the nature of the original structure. This work brought to light the original windows and doors of the older building, which are of reduced size, typical of that time.

Today this building is set out over two floors with an irregular plan, including walkways, an external wooden staircase and a pitched roof tiled with scàndole (tiles which are typical of traditional alpine architecture, made from larch). The ground floor includes a large hall with a characteristic floor made up of cross sections of trunks used as tiles, and houses important documents pertaining to the artist’s life and to events relating to the house itself. The first floor is reached via a step wooden staircase, and houses the attractive rooms in which Titian lived during his early years and occasionally later, after his move to Venice, when he visited his native town.

The building was declared a national monument by Royal Decree on 17 December 1922 and was acquired by the Magnifica Comunità di Cadore. Several other restoration projects took place before it was officially inaugurated on 7 August 1932 and opened to the public, under the direction of the solicitor Celso Fabbro and the official direction of the Accademia Reale d’Italia represented by Ugo Ojetti, who gave the commemorative speech which was later published.
Since then, the Magnifica Comunità of Cadore has has the responsibility of its upkeep.