The imposing 3-storeyed Palazzo was built for the Grassi family who lived there until the beginning of the 20th Century. The architecture is attributed to Giorgio Massari and it forms a long façade along the Grand Canal opposite Ca Rezzonico. Work began between 1740 and 1748 and this was the last palace to be built in Venice before the fall of the Republic. Formerly a centre for arts, the Fiat group had it restored by Gae Aulenti and then transformed it into a museum and exhibition centre of international importance.