It is perhaps significant that the palace was also one of the first noble palaces to be emptied of its furniture following the fall. Works by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto were all taken away by the French troops.

Whether it was a lodge or not cannot be said for sure but the first one certainly existed in Venice from the start of the 18th century and Venetian aristocracy counted numerous masons among it member.

One of the first was Nicolò Corner, who was also the first provisional post Serenissima leader. He was most likely motivated by the actions of the increasingly out of control ‘Inquisitore di Stato’ who were threatening the sprit of Venetian law.

Gambling was always popular with the inhabitants of the Republic of Venice. In fact, the whole city could be viewed as one big gamble and dice games, cards, commercial speculation was part of everyday life, even if the Serenissima tried to control any excesses.

The Casino of Venice was one of many to be established in the last hundred years or so of the Republic when it seemed the inhabitants and nobles of the city did nothing else but gamble during their leisure time.

Officially, Palazzo Ca’Vendramin Calergi, where the Casino still resides, was built at the start of the 1500’s by the Loredan family and bought from the next owners, the Grimani, by the Vendramin.

Look out on the canal side exterior for a Latin inscription which reads ‘Non Nobis – Domine - Non Nobis’ literally ‘Not for our sake Lord’.

It is taken from the verse of a Psalm linked to the Order of the Knights Templars but has also been attributed to the Vendramin family who wanted to distance themselves from previous owners.

The Grimani had a ruthless reputation and were responsible for the murder of Querini Stampalia.

It was also in Palazzo Ca’Vendramin Calergi where composer Richard Wagner died in 1883

Today, its all, sadly, Texas Holdem Poker and Touchscreen Slot Machines, But probably it would have been this anyway if the Republic had survived such was the passion for a flutter.

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