DK Travel : Venice : Museums & Galleries

Accademia Galleries

(see Accademia Galleries).
Ca’ Pesaro Galleria d’Arte Moderna

A Baroque triumph of a palace whose interior, in contrast, accommodates works by leading European 19th- and 20th-century masters such as Marc Chagall and Gustave Klimt.
Fondazione Querini Stampalia

This unmissable Renaissance palace was the bequest of Giovanni Querini in 1868, the last member of the illustrious dynasty, on the condition that the library be made available “particularly in the evenings for the convenience of scholars”. The immaculately restored palace-museum houses fascinating scenes of public and private life by Gabriel Bella and Pietro Longhi, as well as Carlo Scarpa’s Modernist creations.
Museo Correr

Priceless artworks and a miscellany of items on Venice’s history are housed in this fine museum on Piazza San Marco (see Museo Correr Complex).
Museo del Merletto

A must for crafts enthusiasts is the lacemaking island of Burano and this precious display of more than 200 rare lace items, documenting a 500-year history.
Museo dell’Arte Vetrario

A phenomenal chandelier from 1864, constructed from 356 handmade pieces, weighing 330 kg (730 lb) and measuring nearly 7 m (23 ft) in circumference and 4 m (13 ft) high, is the star of this glass museum in the Palazzo Giustiniani. Other exhibits include Phoenician phials, blown vases, ruby chalices, exquisite mirrors and the famed kaleidoscopic beads once traded worldwide.
Museo di Icone

A rich if small collection of 14th–18th-century Byzantine icons is on display, some painted by Greek artists living in Venice.
Museo Storico Navale

Watercraft galore are on display at the Historic Naval Museum, but the highlight is the replica of the Doge’s ceremonial barge Bucintoro , richly decorated with allegorical statues.
Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni

The finest work of Vittorio Carpaccio can be seen at the confraternity of the Slavs (Schiavoni). Slaying the dragon is one of the scenes from the lives of Dalmatian saints, executed in 1502.
Scuola Grande di San Rocco

The San Rocco confraternity has now been turned into a gallery to display its spectacular works by Tintoretto. The artist won the commission hands down – not content with a sketch, he completed an entire canvas. He then spent 23 years on the cycle of 60 inspired Old and New Testament scenes, culminating in the breathtaking Crucifixion (1565). They are the crowning glory of Tintoretto’s life work (see Scuola Grande di San Rocco).