The Academy Galleries or, briefly put, the Academy (Accademia, in Italian), are the ultimate destination for fine art lovers who happen to visit Venice. This museum retraces the history of the Venetian painting since the 13th to the 18th century, standing out as one of the most comprehensive museums in the world in terms of the said field.

The institution was initially set up in 1750 as an art school (under the name of Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, meaning, the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice) the mission of which was to train students not only in painting, but also in sculpture and architecture.

The academy changed its original headquarters in 1807, in the context of the Napoleonic occupation, such that even today the museum enhances the cultural patrimony of the Grand Canal of Venice, one of the densest tourist hotspots of the city. But regardless of the edifice which is home to this institution, the inner asset of the Academy Galleries is worth all the attention. In order to do more than just browsing through the works with a mere amateurish curiosity, tourists can just as well resort to the guided tours which are organized for groups and only upon request.

Thus, visitors have the opportunity to admire and learn about the works of Gentile Bellini (with the magnificent San Giobbe Altarpiece) and Giovanni Bellini (with the celebrated Allegories of Perseverance, Fortune, Prudence and Falsehood, the so-called Madonna Contarini), Bernardo Bellotto, Pacino di Bonaguida, Canaletto, Vittore Carpaccio (represented at the academy by a highlight like the Legend of Saint Ursula), Giulio Carpioni, Cima da Conegliano, Fetti, Pietro Gaspari, Luca Giordano, Francesco Guardi, Giorgione (with his awe-inspiring Tempest), Charles Le Brun, Pietro Longhi, Lorenzo Lotto, Mantegna, Rocco Marconi, Michele Marieschi, Antonello da Messina, Giovanni Battista Pittoni, Giambattista Tiepolo, Jacopo Tintoretto (the ultimate showcased work being the Miracle of the Slave), Titian (his last work, a Pieta, being worth approaching in depth), Paolo Veronese (with his splendid Feast in the House of Levi), Vasari, Alvise Vivarini, Giuseppe Zais, just to list a few of the most resonant names.

But these masterpieces aside, Gallerie dell’Accademia showcases yet another world renowned museum piece. We speak of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, one of the unchallenged highlights of the museum.

Common tickets are available for the Academy Galleries, for the Oriental Art Museum and for the Grimani Palace Museum alike, which is fairy convenient in terms of admission price.

Name:
Academy Galleries (Gallerie dell’Accademia)
Address:
Campo della Carita, 1050, Dorsoduro, 30100, Venice, Italy
Telephone:
0039 041 5222247
Fax:
0039 041 5212709
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.polomuseale.venezia.beniculturali.it
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 8:15am to 7:15pm; Mondays: 8:15am to 2pm
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