Located on Riva Vena, near the Vigo Bridge, Palazzo Grassi originated as the residence of the noble Grassi family, from whom it takes its name. The Grassi were a family of grain merchants and in 1718 they acquired the noble title from the Senate of the Serenissima and built a namesake palace along the Grand Canal in San Samuele.
The first Palazzo Grassi in Chioggia was started in the 17th century; however, in the early 1700s it was modernized by Andrea Tirali. In 1782 it hosted Pope Paul VI, heading to Vienna; in 1830 it became the temporary seat of the Municipality and from the second half of the 19th century it was used as a hospital. Restored in 2000, it now houses the Faculty of Marine Biology of the University of Padua.
Inside Palazzo Grassi is also the headquarters of the Adriatic Zoology Museum "Giuseppe Olivi".
Of considerable value is the balustrade that gives access to the inner garden with female statues in Istrian stone, representing the four elements (water, earth, air, and fire) and the portal of the Foresteria, with mythological themes.
