The rich lavished their wealth on luxury goods for their palazzos, and on shameless dressing up.

ECONOMIST: Renaissance Florence

His second act is Palazzo Victoria, a reborn hotel that consists of three 14th-century palazzos.

FORBES: Rebirth In Verona: The New Palazzo Victoria Hotel

The art museum palazzos along the Grand Canal adumbrate hubris, a dangerous trait for anyone who collects art and operates in financial markets.

FORBES: Grandiosity Is A No-No

As our motor launch sped up the Grand Canal in the moonlight, I noted all the palazzos were unlit, owned by absentee plutocrats whose hearts belonged to Venice, too, at least two weeks out of the year.

FORBES: My Leading Indicator Is Art In Venezia