Types: Portali
Portali, or portals, are entranceways to buildings or courtyards that serve both a structural and decorative purpose. Portali also include doorways with sculptures affixed to their tops or with artwork that flows into the doorjambs. The main purpose of a portale, besides its obvious structural function, is to convey a sense of affluence and grandeur to those entering and passing by the building. On private homes, wealthy families would often incorporate their coat of arms into the portali. 
Besides these familial signs, a number of portali also contain reliefs, sculptures, planters, or inscriptions. In particular, portali on churches frequently include reliefs of biblical scenes, or sometimes the image of the saint for which the church is named.
In Venice alone, there are 534 portali; while in the surrounding lagoon islands of Murano, Burano, Torcello, and Mazzorbo, there are an additional 18 portali. The sestieri, or districts, of San Marco and Castello contain the most portali, respectively 25 percent and 21 percent of the total number of portali in Venice. Historically, these neighborhoods were predominately residential, and therefore, money was spent on the appearance of the buildings to give an impression of family wealth and importance. Conversely, Cannaregio and San Polo contain the fewest portali, at four percent each. These sestieri were traditionally commercial and less affluent areas, so less attention was paid to the buildings’ ornamentation.
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