To the left of the “Salute” church is the “Punta della Dogana”, a triangular strip of land which, resembling the prow of a ship, separates the Grand Canal from the Giudecca Canal. Today the triangular building is owned by the art collector François Pinault, who has converted it into the Centre for Contemporary Art, today exhibiting the works of Damien Hirst.
However, until the 18th century, Punta della Dogana was once the Customs area where foreign merchandise ships coming into the city had to pay their excise duty.
Especially noteworthy is the Golden Ball on the tip of the building. The ball represents the world which rests on the shoulders of two Atlas figures, and on top of which stands the figure of Fortune, which rotates to indicate the wind’s direction, and of course the randmoness of fortune itself. A perfect fusion of beauty and function, melancholy and irony: the essence of Venice.
