the opportunity for three facades. Hence this attention to detail of the less obvious parts of the palazzo's exterior, away from its principal water front facade, was able to provide further evidence of the Labia's vast wealth. The facade facing the Campo San Geremia is of equal splendour to that on the Cannaregio. The Grand Canal facade is the smaller of the three, set back from the fondamenta itself and of only three bays. The palazzo is of five floors. The ground and first floors are both low, the first being rusticated, the next two floors the piano nobile and the secondo piano, have tall segmented windows separated by pilasters, the tall windows are fenced by balustraded balconettes. The fifth floor is a low mezzanine beneath the projecting hipped roof, here the small oval windows are divided by the heraldic eagles of the Labia family. The facade on the Campo San Geremia designed by Tremignon which hints at the more floral Venetian Gothic style contrasts to the more classical canal facades. However the Venetian Gothic is more of a subtle suggestion than defining style, the typical central recessed loggias of the piano nobili, typical features of the Venetian Gothic, are however glazed, and the roof line, unlike on the water fronts, is concealed by classical balustrading, but the repetition and placing of the fenestration continues the theme of the canal facades. Interior The double height palazzo ballroom (or Salone delle Feste) is entirely frescoed with scenes from the romantic encounters of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra. These frescoes were a collaboration between Tiepolo and Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna. The frescos are framed by architectural elements in trompe-l'œil, featuring doorways, windows, and balconies. Through the illusionary elements we view the encounter of Anthony and the Egyptian queen at a banquet, while from the painted balconies and upper windows members of Cleopatra's court seem to look down. It is thought that the models for these figures were members of the Labia household. In the scene, Cleopatra dissolves her priceless pearl in a goblet of wine, demonstrating to Anthony her wealth; Maria Labia would have seen this as a metaphor to her nouveau riche position in Venetian society. It is said Maria Labia herself was the model for Cleopatra, but no documentary evidence supports the claim. While Tiepolo's frescoes in the ballroom are among his finest in Italy, they also display Tiepolo's shortcomings as an