Correr Museum in Venice – history, photo, description, exposition, opening hours, how to get there, map
Among the pompous palaces and cathedrals of Venice, museums stand out especially, where valuable works of art of world importance are kept. The Correr Museum is a collection of exhibits reflecting the life, culture and history of the Venetian statehood. Excellent paintings, sculptures, as well as various household items – all this makes a great impression on tourists.
Story
The reason for the founding of the city museum was the passionate love for the art of the Venetian patrician Theodore Correr. The heir to a noble family was born in 1750. Count Correr began his career in the state apparatus without much enthusiasm. The high position gave Theodore the opportunity to engage in his favorite hobby – collecting original household items and works of art. Paintings by famous artists, sculptures, weapons, chinaware, old maps brought more joy to life than government service. During the period of the Napoleonic occupation, the nobleman saved the exhibits from being taken to France.
In 1830 Theodor Correr dies. According to his will, a rich heritage and significant financial resources were placed at the disposal of the municipality to form 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 Lazari. Due to private donations, the number of exhibits has been constantly growing. In 1880, the city authorities acquired the Fondaco dei Turchi palace especially for the museum. However, even the large apartments of this house could hardly contain the huge collection of Correr. It was decided to place the exhibits in various museums in Venice. The most valuable historical works of art were placed in the spacious rooms of the building in Piazza San Marco.
Now the Correr Museum is located in the palace, which has its own interesting history. At the end of the 18th century, the French army occupied the Republic of Venice. By order of Napoleon, the construction of an extension was begun between the ensembles of buildings of the Procurations, bordering the Piazza San Marco. The new wing outwardly repeated the appearance 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.
Initially, it was assumed that the wing 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 took up the decoration of 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, finished with bronze and marble, as well as Venetian glass chandeliers skillfully complemented the rich decoration of the rooms.
At the beginning of the 20th century, thanks in large part to the Italian Ministry of Culture, the luxurious chambers of the palace on 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 demonstrate exhibits that embody the political, spiritual and cultural face of the Venetian Republic. The exhibition consists of several halls dedicated to old 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, marble sculptures of mythical characters – Orpheus, Eurydice and Venus – are extremely exquisite. Particularly noteworthy is the work of the famous Italian sculptor Antonio Canova, who depicted Daedalus dressing the fragile wings of Icarus.
On the second floor of the museum there are collections of items that help to get an idea of the 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 artistic works take center stage 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 Two Venetian Women, which depicts two women on a terrace with a balustrade. One lady is playing with dogs, the other looks into the distance, holding a white handkerchief in her hand. The picture is complemented by a young man watching the Venetians.
Lorenzo Veneziano's famous panel Christ Handing over the Keys to Saint Peter, painted in 1369, is an excellent masterpiece. In the composition, the artist depicted Jesus Christ on a golden background, surrounded by apostles and angels. It is difficult to pass by the work of Giovanni Bellini “Dead Christ Supported by Angels” and “Madonna and Child”. The paintings impress with clear contours of human bodies against the backdrop of landscape distance.
The canvases describing the historical events of Venice are interesting. The painting by Cesare Vecellio “Procession in St. Mark's Square” depicts the procession of the Doge with his retinue through Piazza San Marco during ceremonial events. On the canvas you can see a lot of people and exquisite architectural structures of the square.
Opening hours and ticket prices
The opening hours of the museum depend on the season. From November to March, the doors of the palace are open from 10:00 to 17:00, and from April to October – from 10:00 to 19:00. A visit to the museum is carried out on a single ticket, the price of which is 20 euros.
Where is it located and how to get there
The Correr Museum is located in Piazza San Marco, in the architectural ensemble of the buildings of the Procurations opposite the Cathedral of St. Mark. This is one of the main attractions of the center of Venice. All footpaths lead here. You can take a water bus (vaporetto) to the pier of the San Marco area. The abundance of pointers for tourists will not allow travelers to get lost.