Venice Museums, a journey through the history of the Serenissima

Visitors to Venice’s museums will find themselves surprised, stunned, and deeply inspired by the immense cultural treasures they hold. While the museum circuit we suggest here is only a small part of the city’s artistic wealth, it represents the most dynamic and continually evolving side of Venice’s heritage.

Many Venetian museums have been enriched over the years by private donations and bequests, as well as acquisitions from public institutions and cultural foundations. Some museums are housed in iconic buildings like the Doge’s Palace, while others—such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection—have earned global prestige as centers of modern art. Still others, like Ca’ Rezzonico and Ca’ Pesaro, were once the grand residences of noble families and now offer immersive journeys through Venice’s artistic past.

From the Renaissance to Futurism, from religious icons to experimental installations, Venice’s museums cover an extraordinary range of history and creativity—including institutions that don’t exist anywhere else in the world, like the Murano Glass Museum, where you can see not only centuries-old artifacts but also live demonstrations of the ancient art of glassblowing.

Whether you’re an art lover, a family with children, or a curious traveler, you’ll find museums in Venice to match your interests. Families, for example, may enjoy the Natural History Museum, the Naval History Museum, or the Murano Glass Museum, which even allows visitors to try their hand at glassblowing.

Peggy Guggenheim did for modern art what the Medici once did for the Renaissance. Thanks to her extraordinary passion and vision, many of the world’s great Abstract and Surrealist artists gained international recognition. Established more than 50 years ago in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, her namesake museum is one of the most renowned collections of modern art in the world.

The list of artists represented is remarkable:
Boccioni, Chagall, Dalí, de Chirico, Duchamp, Kandinsky, Klee, Magritte, Miró, Modigliani, Mondrian, Picasso, Pollock, Pomodoro, Warhol, and many more. These include pioneers of Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, and the 20th-century avant-garde.

Not to be missed: The museum is available for exclusive private events after 6:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy private tours, cocktails, or dinners in the sculpture garden, on the panoramic terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, or in the Museum Café. Private access outside opening hours is also available for the most discerning visitors.

Gallerie dell’Accademia – Venetian Painting at Its Finest

The Accademia Galleries are a deep dive into Venetian painting from the 14th to the 18th centuries. Housed in the Scuola della Carità since 1807, the museum was formed by collecting artworks from Venetian churches, many of which were demolished or deconsecrated—especially during the Napoleonic era.

Today, the museum hosts masterpieces by the likes of Titian, Mantegna, Canaletto, Tiepolo, Lotto, Veronese, Bellini, Carpaccio, and Giorgione.

Not to be missed: On Friday and Saturday mornings (by appointment), visitors can access the Quadreria — a special gallery of 80 rarely seen paintings housed in the adjacent Palladian monastery. As Antonio Paolucci, former Director of the Vatican Museums, once described it:

“It is the hidden museum that is to the visible museum what internal organs are to the skin and face of each of us.”

Museo Correr – The Civic Heart of Venice

When Teodoro Correr, the last descendant of a noble Venetian family, died in 1830, he bequeathed his extensive collection to the city. Originally housed in Fondaco dei Turchi, the museum’s holdings expanded so significantly that in 1922 they were moved to their current home in the Procuratie Nuove, part of the Napoleonic Wing of Piazza San Marco.

The Correr Museum offers a journey through Venetian art and civic life from the 15th to the 19th century. Highlights include:

• Works by Canova, including Daedalus and Icarus (1779).
• Paintings by De Asola and Vicentino in grand neoclassical halls.
• San Marco lions in marble and symbolic relics of the Republic.

You’ll also find rooms dedicated to:

• Costumes, portraits, coins, and ceremonial objects of the Venetian Republic.
• A full hall commemorating the 1571 Battle of Lepanto, with a bust of Captain Francesco Duodo and a portrait of Sebastiano Venier.
• Artefacts from Venetian naval and trading history.

Not to be missed: Major paintings by Giovanni Bellini, such as The Transfiguration of Christ, The Crucifixion of San Salvador, and The Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels. You’ll also find works by Vittore Carpaccio, including Man in a Red Hat and Two Venetian Ladies.

Oriental Art Museum – An Ode to Japanese Mastery

Housed in Ca’ Pesaro in the Santa Croce district, the Venice Museum of Oriental Art shares its elegant Baroque setting with the International Gallery of Modern Art. This museum holds an extraordinary collection of over 30,000 artifacts, largely assembled by Prince Henry of Bourbon during his travels through Japan, China, Siam, Cambodia, and Java between 1887 and 1889.

Although the layout of Ca’ Pesaro may not fully showcase the richness of the collection, the museum remains an essential destination for lovers of Asian art. The heart of the collection focuses on Japan’s Edo period (1630–1868), featuring:

• Exquisite lacquerware
• Porcelain objects
• Paintings and textiles
• Samurai swords and weaponry
• Everyday items that paint a vivid picture of life in feudal Japan

This is considered one of the world’s most important collections of Japanese art from the Edo era.

Not to be missed: Intricately carved jade and ivory pieces from across Asia, including the rare gilded clam shells used for Kai-awase, a shell-matching game from Japan’s Muromachi period (14th century), akin to a luxurious early form of Memory.

International Gallery of Modern Art – An Evolving Collection

Also located within Ca’ Pesaro, the International Gallery of Modern Art offers a compelling contrast to the Museum of Oriental Art. The building itself was once owned by the Bevilacqua family, who gifted it to the city to serve as a permanent home for works featured in the early editions of the Venice Biennale, beginning in the early 20th century.

Over time, the collection has grown significantly through acquisitions and generous donations. Particularly notable is a bequest from Lionello De Lisi in the 1960s, which added key works by:

• Morandi
• Carrà
• Kandinsky
• De Chirico
• Miró

The collection now reflects the trajectory of modern and contemporary European art, covering many of the pivotal movements of the 20th century.

Museum of 18th-Century Venice – A Palace Frozen in Time

Located in Ca’ Rezzonico, on the Grand Canal, the Museum of 18th-Century Venice has been welcoming visitors since 1936. Unlike traditional galleries, this museum is curated as a living space — a faithful reconstruction of an 18th-century Venetian noble residence, complete with period furniture, frescoes, paintings, and decorative arts.

The museum’s curators sourced many of its furnishings and artworks from public collections, antique dealers, and historic Venetian buildings, creating an immersive journey into life during the golden age of the Serenissima.

Recent restorations have returned the building and its collection to their full splendor, with pristine marble floors, gleaming chandeliers, and brightly lit windows offering a setting as elegant as the artworks themselves. Ca’ Rezzonico is truly a museum within a museum, with educational spaces and a high-quality bookshop enhancing the visitor experience.

Murano Glass Museum – Where Glass Comes to Life

Set in the historic Palazzo of the Bishops of Torcello, the Murano Glass Museum is located in the very heart of Venice’s legendary glassmaking island. The building itself became a museum in stages, beginning in 1861 when it was repurposed from a municipal office. By 1923, it had officially joined the network of Venetian Civic Museums, and today stands as the most authoritative institution on Murano’s signature art form.

Of special note is the central hall overlooking the Grand Canal of Murano, featuring original 18th-century frescoes and three majestic chandeliers. The most spectacular of them — a 60-arm masterpiece — was crafted by Giovanni Fuga and Lorenzo Santi in 1864 for the first Murano Glass Exhibition.

A Journey Through Glass History

The museum’s exhibits are arranged chronologically, spanning the 14th to the 20th century, while also showcasing Roman-era glass artifacts dating back to the 1st–3rd century AD. Although the glassblowing technique itself traces its origins to 1st-century BC Palestine, Murano brought it to artistic perfection by the 1300s, making Venetian glass known worldwide.

Today, the collection includes:

• Classic Murrine – multicolored glass patterns fused into brilliant mosaics
• Rare filigree, lattimo, and enamel-decorated pieces
• Tools, sketches, and models used by past master glassmakers

Museum of Natural History – Dinosaurs, Butterflies & the Depths of the Lagoon

The Venice Museum of Natural History is housed in the Fontego dei Turchi, a grand waterside palace in the Santa Croce district. Originally the home of the Correr Museum until 1922, the building became a natural history museum the following year, inspired by engineer Giorgio Silvio.

Today, the museum boasts a vast and diverse collection — over two million specimens — sourced from donations, scientific expeditions, and institutional acquisitions. Much of this material is preserved in off-site archives, accessible to scholars and researchers, while key highlights are beautifully curated for the public.

A Multi-Sensory Scientific Experience

The ground floor features:

• A scientific library
• The immersive Cetaceans Gallery
• The Tegnue Aquarium, which replicates the unique underwater ecosystems of the Venetian Lagoon, home to marine life like sponges, mollusks, and tiny fish

The first floor is divided into three themed sections:

1. Fossils and Paleontology – with ancient remains of long-extinct creatures
2. The History of Scientific Collecting – tracing the origins of museum curation and taxonomy
3. Evolution and Biodiversity – exploring how species adapt and evolve over time

Not to Be Missed

This museum is a must-see for families, especially those visiting Venice with children. Little ones will be captivated by the seven-meter skeleton of an Ouranosaurus, a giant dinosaur from North Africa, and the enormous crocodile skull discovered by Venetian paleontologist Giancarlo Ligabue in 1973. Meanwhile, others will be enchanted by the vivid butterfly collection, showcasing delicate specimens from around the world.

Doge’s Palace – Museum of the History of Venice

The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) is not only one of Venice’s most recognized landmarks, but also a living chronicle of the city’s history. This Gothic masterpiece served as the political and administrative center of the Venetian Republic until its fall in 1797. Today, it stands as a museum and architectural jewel, shaped by centuries of expansion and renovation.

The palace comprises three main wings: one facing St. Mark’s Basin, housing the Hall of the Great Council; another opening onto St. Mark’s Square, home to the Hall of Scrutiny; and the Renaissance wing, which once served as the Doge’s residence. Each area reflects a distinct phase of Venetian architectural history, from the 14th to the 16th centuries.

Inside, visitors can explore the Opera Museum, the Ducal Apartments, the grand Institutional Rooms including the Hall of the Censors, and the Armory. Particularly compelling are the palace’s two prison sections: the Piombi, used for high-status detainees, and the dark, damp Pozzi, reserved for ordinary prisoners.

Naval History Museum – Tracing Italy’s Maritime Past

Housed within the historic Arsenale, the Venice Naval History Museum showcases the city’s powerful maritime legacy. Opened in 1923, the museum documents the naval prowess of the Serenissima and, more broadly, the Italian Navy.

The first floors of the museum display maritime tools, traditional lagoon boats, ship models, and historical uniforms. Exhibits chronicle both Venice’s naval dominance and its connection to Eastern and Scandinavian seafaring traditions. Of special interest is the Swedish Room, where rare documents explore Italy’s role in naval aviation development.

On special occasions, visitors can access the Pavilion of Ships, a nearby Arsenale workshop housing full-size vessels, including the famous Elettra Yacht. Outside, the museum also features original World War I battleship anchors.

A short walk away, the Church of San Biagio completes the experience. Once visited by crews before voyages, it is also the burial site of Admiral Angelo Emo, one of Italy’s greatest naval commanders — a fitting tribute in a place where Venice’s maritime soul still resonates.