 The Curtises left Boston in 1877 and got to Venice in 1880 where they lived most of their lives except for the many travels they took abroad, renting the palace when not at home.Beginning in 1881, they first rented a part of Palazzo Barbaro when in Venice but later, in 1885, they bought the second floor and the upper floors for $13,500.Ariana said the palace was worth much more because its value shouldn't be set by the number of rooms but by its original 18th century decorations.