Correr Museum in Venice. Correr Museum - the great treasury of Venice

Perhaps one of the main and most interesting attractions in Italy can be called the Correr Museum. The gallery, founded in 1830, is considered the best of Venice's divine and historical collections.

Its founding father was Teodoro Correra, who was a passionate collector of various works of art. After his death, he bequeathed his entire rich collection to the city. The museum is located in Piazza San Marco and is a complex historical complex. Its multi-directional exhibition halls accurately convey to visitors the cultural and historical spirit of Venice.

The wealth of exhibitions of the Correr Museum

The state rooms of the Correr Museum amaze at first glance with their exquisitely strict Empire style and luxurious architectural splendor. The sculptures of Antonio Canova are presented here; the main decoration of the gallery is the most famous work - Titian's tombstone.

The entire collection of the museum is divided into three parts: the Historical Museum, the Art Gallery and the Risorgimento Museum, and the entire exhibition occupies 33 exhibition halls. One of the collections is represented by historical documents and vedates, which play a large role in the initial organization of such an amazing landmark of Venice, as well as telling about the development of the city. In the same room there is an exhibition of coins, festive clothing and weapons.

Historical part of the museum

The Correr Museum houses antiques that witnessed important and sometimes decisive historical events, many of them belonging to the great Venetians. For example, here you can see miniature pens that were used to count votes during elections, as well as the weapons of Admiral Francesco Morosini. The historical value of the pistol lies in its original design in the form of a prayer book. The admiral feared for his life and was afraid of assassination attempts, so his weapon did not leave him even when visiting church.

Art Gallery

The crown of the collection can be called the Art Gallery, which contains unique works of art by famous artists Vivarini, Bellini, Lorenzo Veneziano, Lo Schiavone and Pietro Longhi. All paintings are exhibited according to the eras to which they belong. Particular attention is drawn to Bellini's works: "The Crucifixion" and "The Transfiguration", considered masterpieces of 15th century painting. Among the works of artists of the second half of the 15th century, the works of Pieta Antonello da Messina and the famous painting by Carpccio “Two Courtesans” stand out.

Information for visitors

Address: Piazza San Marco, 52, Venice, Italy.

Operating mode:

• from November 1 to March 31 - 10:30 - 17:00 (last entry at 16:30);
• from April 1 to October 31 - 10:00 - 19:00 (last entry at 18:30).

Contact number: +39 041 2405211.

After exploring the museums of Venice, you can head to the festival site, the Venetian Gardens. On the territory of this park there are 30 pavilions, which are used to hold exhibitions of national art from different countries.

The Correr Museum is located in St. Mark's Square in Venice in the New Procuration building opposite St. Mark's Basilica.
The museum houses a collection of paintings and various decorative antiques. The collection was bequeathed to the city by Count Teodoro Correr. He assembled a personal collection, trying to protect the most valuable works stored in the churches and monasteries of Venice during the capture of the city by Napoleon.
The exhibits of the Correr Museum in Venice are presented in the form of paintings, frescoes, engravings, antique dishes and furniture, paintings, drawings and manuscripts by the masters of Venice. It also contains models of sailing ships, Venetian glass items, sculptures, and much more.

Story emergence.

The collection of Count Teodoro Correr was transformed into a museum thanks to Vincenzo Lazzari.
The Correr Museum was opened in 1836 by the Venetian magistrate. After the opening of the museum, the collection was replenished with gifts from private collectors, churches and monasteries. The collection was replenished with frescoes, paintings, antique dishes and furniture.
Since 1880, the Correr Museum in Venice has occupied the Fondaco dei Turchi building, located on the banks of the Grand Canal.
Since 1922, the Correr collection was divided: part of the collection was placed in the New Procuration Building, and exhibits dating back to the 18th century were moved to the Palazzo Rezzonico. Venetian glass was placed in the Palazzo Giustiniani on the island of Murano.
In 1953, exhibits from the collection of theatrical significance were moved to the House of the playwright Goldoni and became part of the exhibits of the Museum of Dramatic Venetian Art, which was founded here.
The art gallery of the Correr Museum in Venice contains works of art by great creators (Vittore Carpaccio, Veneziano, Pietro Longe, Canova, etc.), but the works of some artists, such as Giorgione and Francesco Guardi, were given to the Academy of Art.
The third part of the Correr Museum is the most diverse. It contains exhibits reflecting the history and life of the Venetians in different periods of time. So here you can see the costumes of the Doges, engravings and sculptures, paintings, precious fabrics, antique dishes and furniture. There is also a large collection of medieval weapons, maps, seals and coins.

Architecture.

The building that currently houses the Correr Museum is the creation of the architects Giovanni Antonio Antolini, Lorenzo Santi and Giuseppe Soli. Originally there was the building of the Church of San Geminiano.
Narrow arcades framing the building of the Old and New Procurations on the ground floor level give the area in front of the museum a closed appearance. The Procuracy building is designed in the image of the Old Library.
Giuseppe Borsato worked on the interior decoration. He designed the interior of the Correr Museum in the imperial style.
Sebastian Santi decorated the ceiling of the museum with his frescoes.
By order of Napoleon, the Napoleon Wing was built, which houses a beautiful ballroom.

Tourist on note.

You can visit the Correr Museum in Venice from November to March inclusive, daily from 9.00 to 17.00, and from April to October daily from 9.00 to 19.00. The museum is closed on January 1 and December 25.
To get to the museum from Venice train station you can take vaporetto no. 1 and no. 2 or vaporetto no. 41 and no. 51.

Neighborhood.

In the building of the New Procurations, which houses the Correr Museum, you can visit the oldest café in all of Italy, Florian, opened in 1720.
In Piazza San Marco in Venice, the building of the Old Procurations is open to the public.

The Correr Museum in Venice is named after Teodoro Correr (1750-1830), an avid art collector and member of one of the city's oldest aristocratic families. Correr bequeathed to Venice not only his entire rich collection of paintings, but also the palace in the San Zan Degola area in which it was stored, and a decent amount for the further expansion of the collection. His only condition was that the collection bear his name. It was this collection of works of art that became the core around which the Venice City Museum Foundation was subsequently formed. Interestingly, in his will, Correr meticulously outlined when and under what conditions his collection could be made available to the public, how many people could work in the museum, and even how much money should be spent for these purposes. Despite this, the Correr collection was initially only partially exhibited, and only under the third curator, Vincenzo Lazzari, was it transformed into a museum proper. Thanks to the efforts of the same Lazari, the museum became not only a place for scientific research in the field of art, but also an exhibition gallery with priceless exhibits. Already by the mid-19th century, the Correr Museum had become a mandatory stop for all visitors to Venice. At the same time, the museum's collections grew thanks to donations and new acquisitions. The modern Foundation of the City Museums of Venice, which grew out of the Correr collection, consists of 11 separate museums scattered throughout the city.

In 1887, the museum's holdings were moved to the Fondaco dei Turchi building. A couple of years later, a significant archive of the Morosini family was added to them, and during the years of the Second Venice Biennale, the beginning of a collection of contemporary art was laid. In 1902, this collection was placed in the Baroque palace of Ca' Pesaro, bequeathed to the city by Duchess Felicita Bevilacqua La Masa. In 1922, the Correr Museum moved again to Piazza San Marco, where it remains today, and in 1923 the Natural History Museum was located in the Fondaco dei Turchi. At the same time, glass collections were placed in the Palazzo Giustiniani on the island of Murano.

The current building of the Correr Museum was built at the very beginning of the 19th century on the site of the ancient church of San Geminiano, which in the mid-16th century was rebuilt according to the design of Jacopo Sansovino and stood between the Procuratie Vecchie and the Procuratie Nuove - two long arched buildings stretching along the entire Piazza San Marco. These buildings housed the offices and residences of the most influential political figures of the Venetian Republic. The new palace was built as the residence of Napoleon, but was completed during the years of Austrian rule and served as the residence of the Habsburg court in Venice. The architects of this building with a monumental double facade, a kind of mystical portico, a spacious staircase and a luxurious ballroom were Giovanni Antonio Antolini, Giuseppe Soli and Lorenzo Santi. The Venetian artist Giuseppe Borsato worked on the decorations of the palace, who carefully reproduced the imperial style in the interior, and the ceiling above the main staircase was painted with frescoes by Sebastiano Santi in 1837-38.

Among the pompous palaces and cathedrals of Venice, museums that house valuable works of art of world significance stand out. The Correr Museum is a collection of exhibits reflecting the life, culture and history of Venetian statehood. Excellent paintings, sculptures, as well as various household items - all this makes a great impression on tourists.

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The reason for the founding of the city museum was the passionate love for art of the Venetian patrician Theodore Correr. The heir to a noble family was born in 1750. Count Correr began his career in the government apparatus without much enthusiasm. His high position gave Theodore the opportunity to pursue his favorite hobby - collecting original household items and works of art. Paintings by famous artists, sculptures, weapons, porcelain dishes, and ancient maps brought greater joy to life than government service. During the Napoleonic occupation, a nobleman saved the exhibits from being exported to France.

In 1830, Theodor Correr dies. According to his will, the rich heritage and significant financial resources were transferred to the disposal of the municipality for the formation of the future museum. A few years later, a museum was opened in the Correr mansion under the direction of the Venetian archaeologist and historian Vincenzo Lazzari. Thanks to private donations, the number of exhibits was constantly growing. In 1880, the city authorities acquired the Fondaco dei Turchi palace specifically for the museum. However, even the large apartments of this house could hardly accommodate Correr’s huge collection. It was decided to place the exhibits in different museums in Venice. The most valuable historical works of art were placed in the spacious premises of the building in Piazza San Marco.

Nowadays the Correr Museum is located in a palace, which has its own interesting history. At the end of the 18th century, the French army occupied the Venetian Republic. By order of Napoleon, the construction of an extension began between the ensembles of Procuration buildings bordering St. Mark's Square. The new wing externally repeated the look of the galleries built back in 1584 for the residence of the noble communities of Venice. The facade of the building was decorated with arched windows with pilasters, and the upper part was crowned with a wide sculptural cornice. A spacious staircase, decorated with a balustrade, led to a huge ballroom.

It was originally intended that the outbuilding would serve as a residence for the monarchs of the new state created by Napoleon. The final construction of the building was completed when Venice was already under the Austrian protectorate. Representatives of the Habsburg family settled in the palace. Therefore, the interior of the halls had to correspond to the imperial character of the architecture. In 1820, the Venetian artist Giuseppe Borsato began decorating the premises. The rooms of the palace are decorated with pilasters, the walls are lined with sculptural ornaments, and the ceilings are painted with frescoes. Carved mahogany furniture, trimmed with bronze and marble, as well as Venetian glass chandeliers skillfully complemented the rich decoration of the premises.

At the beginning of the 20th century, largely thanks to the Italian Ministry of Culture, the luxurious chambers of the palace in Piazza San Marco became one of the main repositories of works of art.

Museum exposition - what to see?

The main concept of the Correr Museum is to display exhibits that embody the political, spiritual and cultural image of the Venetian Republic. The exhibition consists of several halls dedicated to ancient paintings, engravings, household items, sculptural compositions and other valuable attributes. In the large halls of the palace you can see many ancient statues. In particular, the marble sculptures of mythical characters - Orpheus, Eurydice and Venus - are extremely exquisite. The work of the famous Italian sculptor Antonio Canova, who depicted how Daedalus puts on the fragile wings of Icarus, deserves special attention.

On the second floor of the museum there are collections of objects that help to get an idea of ​​various aspects of the life of the Venetians. This is a collection of coats of arms, coins, medals, seals, books, portraits of doges, models of ships and Venetian costumes. Outstanding works of art occupy a central place in the museum. The art gallery allows visitors to see the talented works of famous masters from different eras. Of particular note is Vittorio Carpaccio's painting "Two Venetian Women", which depicts two women on a terrace with a balustrade. One lady is playing with dogs, the other is looking into the distance, holding a white scarf in her hand. The picture is completed by a young man watching the Venetian women.

Lorenzo Veneziano's famous panel "Christ Handing the Keys to St. Peter", painted in 1369, is a superb masterpiece. In the composition, the artist depicted Jesus Christ on a golden background, surrounded by apostles and angels. It’s hard to miss Giovanni Bellini’s “Dead Christ Supported by Angels” and “Madonna and Child.” The paintings impress with the clear contours of human bodies against the backdrop of the landscape.

The paintings describing the historical events of Venice are interesting. Cesare Vecellio's painting "Procession in St. Mark's Square" depicts the procession of the Doge and his retinue through Piazza San Marco during ceremonial events. On the canvas you can see many people and the exquisite architectural structures of the square.

Opening hours and ticket prices

Museum opening hours vary depending on the season. From November to March, the palace doors are open from 10:00 to 17:00, and from April to October - from 10:00 to 19:00. A visit to the museum requires a single ticket, the price of which is 20 euros.

Where is it and how to get there

The Correr Museum is located in Piazza San Marco, in the architectural ensemble of the Procuration buildings opposite St. Mark's Cathedral. This is one of the main attractions of the center of Venice. All pedestrian roads lead here. You can take a water bus (vaporetto) to the pier in the San Marco area. The abundance of signs for tourists will not allow travelers to get lost.