text: The extravagant ballroom and soaring allegorical frescoes like Giambattista Tiepolo 's Merit between Virtue and Nobility in the Throne Room ( actually for Rezzonico weddings ) and others , more wistful , by Guardi all catch the tone of a declining Venice and the frivolous lives of the idle rich .
  
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  All of the architecture show Italy at the height of its power .