The Art Lover’s Guide to Venice: From Renaissance Masterpieces to Modern Galleries

Venice is already a wonderful work of art in itself, you would want to wrap it up and take it away to admire it whenever you want, isn't that right? A treasure chest that hides a surprising amount of works inside, if you are an art lover it is difficult to resist its charm.

Declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site, Venice is an open-air museum that has always attracted numerous artists, who in every era have given the Lagoon unparalleled masterpieces. Are you an Art Lover? In this article we have imagined for you a mini-guide to appreciate and learn about the art of Venice, from the masterpieces of the Renaissance to modern and contemporary art, we will accompany you around the Lagoon to discover its museums and galleries.

For those who love art, Venice is a magnetic place, a sort of paradise for the senses. The Lagoon is a surprising concentration of masterpieces dating back to various historical periods and artistic movements. In various eras, Venice has known masters of great fame and is able to offer those who visit it an unsurpassed variety of works, you can easily go from a Renaissance masterpiece to a contemporary art installation in the space of a few meters and the balance and synergy with which these works coexist and dialogue represents one of the qualities of Venice.

In this article we will move among calli and campi in search of the best Museums and Galleries in Venice, which you cannot miss seeing if you are an art enthusiast, an itinerary curated in detail that you can imagine lasting two days for each section that we will propose to you according to your artistic tastes. It will allow you to go through the various artistic eras of Venice and leave with a good baggage of knowledge and satisfied for having contemplated so much beauty. To make things easier in this mini-guide we suggest you consider the Venice Pass, a single card that allows access to the main museums and galleries mentioned in the article as well as unlimited access to Venetian transport and various conventions with restaurants and shops. Are you ready? Let's start our journey!

The first itinerary is dedicated to the wonderful Venetian Renaissance, a period of all-round artistic flourish. We begin with what is considered the largest collection of Venetian paintings in the world: The Gallerie dell’Accademia. Our visit begins here because it is a must for painting lovers. The Gallerie are located in the Dorsoduro district, next to the Vaporetto stop of the same name and boast Renaissance masterpieces such as Titian’s Pietà, Giorgione’s Tempest and Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. The Gallerie dell’Accademia is a large museum complex made up of three buildings, home to 37 rooms, where you can range from 14th-century to 18th-century painting.

Our day continues with another unmissable stop, a pleasant walk of just over ten minutes on foot will take us to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. And if you are curious to find out where to see Tintoretto in Venice, know that we are taking you right there! The Scuola Grande di San Rocco is an exceptional place, here you can admire the magnificence of the Sala Capitolare where Tintoretto painted his most famous pictorial Cycle with episodes from the old and new testament. A few minutes walk away you will find the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, more commonly called the Basilica dei Frari located in the San Polo district, an important destination in our artistic itinerary not only for the works on display there, but also because the great artists Titian and Canova are buried here, it is among the largest churches in Venice. Inside the church, the Altarpiece of the Assumption by Titian stands out among all the others. We conclude our first two days with the Correr Museum, located in Piazza San Marco, an interesting destination not only for the artistic side, here you will also have the opportunity to learn more about the history of Venice, the museum tells the story of Venice through paintings, objects and sculptures from its foundation to the unification of Italy, inside there are various curiosities and thanks to the perfectly preserved furnishings you will be able to fully immerse yourself in an ancient and sumptuous past.

Our second tour, always thought about two days, is dedicated to wonderful places a little off the beaten track, the first destination today is Ca’ Rezzonico, the Museum of the Venetian Eighteenth Century. Ca’ Rezzonico is one of the richest and most beautiful palaces in Venice, overlooking the picturesque Grand Canal. This palace, although central, remains a little off the tourist circuits that give priority to the main attractions. The building dates back to the end of the 17th century, beginning of the 18th century and inside you will find two works by Tintoretto on display, a curiosity not to be missed on the ground floor of the building: look out into the splendid Venetian-style garden. On the second floor you will find the paintings, they are the most emblematic works of art of the Venetian Eighteenth Century: here the flagship are the frescoes by Tiepolo.

Another destination that remains off the beaten track of mass tourism is Palazzo Grimani, located in the heart of Venice, this Palace is a jewel of the Renaissance and was reopened to the public in 2008 after almost 30 years of restoration work. We highly recommend this stop for the features of the building that in the past was praised by travelers, artists and diplomats. A gem at the end of the day to add to your itinerary and accessible only to the most informed travelers is the Libreria Acqua Alta, here you will find rare books and also recent publications dedicated to Venice and its art.

The time has come to dedicate ourselves to modern and contemporary art, the first destination where we take you is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, we are in the splendid Palazzo Venier Leoni and this beautiful villa on the Grand Canal was the home of the eccentric collector Peggy Guggenheim, inside you will find European and American art of the twentieth century from Pablo Picasso to Jackson Pollock and Henry Moore. Let's now move to what was once the access point for all the trade routes that brought goods to the large Rialto market: Punta della Dogana, where La Dogana da Mar is located which today, together with Palazzo Grassi is a museum of contemporary art belonging to the Pinault Collection.

Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi through a constant proposal of temporary exhibitions both monographic and collective of contemporary art represent two destinations not to be missed, the works belong to François Pinault, one of the most important art collectors in the world. To conclude our tour dedicated to contemporary art, we cannot fail to point out the Venice Art Biennale, which takes place every two years alternating with the Venice Architecture Biennale. On May 10, 2025, the Architecture Biennale will begin, which this year is titled: Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective. The Biennales have a seasonal cadence, generally opening in the months of April and May and closing around November.

Walking around Venice discovering its art treasures with its Museums and Galleries will allow you not only to savor its artistic side and learn more about the history and art of the Lagoon, but between one destination and another you will be able to enjoy the eternal beauty of Venice, which has enchanted travelers, experts, scholars, artists and intellectuals for centuries. Between one museum and another, take breaks to appreciate the views and taste some local specialties.

To recap, as regards art from the 16th to the 19th century, the main galleries, museums and churches to visit are: The Gallerie dell’Accademia, The Scuola Grande di San Rocco, the Basilica dei Frari, the Museo Correr, Ca’ Rezzonico and Palazzo Grimani. For modern and contemporary art, the places you can’t miss are: The Peggy Guggenheim Collection, The Pinault Collection with the museums of Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi and the Art and Architecture Biennials, we remind you that in 2025 there will be the Architecture Biennial. You can choose to follow either the first itinerary in classical art or the second in modern and contemporary art, or opt for a mix of the two routes.

Before tackling the artistic itinerary for Venice we suggest you check the days and times of entry to the various places, consider that any period of the year is good for a trip to Venice, but if you want to avoid the periods of greatest crowding and when the costs are higher you should know that during the Carnival period and in the warm season that goes from spring to the end of autumn given the presence of the Biennials, the Film Festival and the good weather the lagoon could be more crowded. As you will have understood almost all year round Venice has a large flow of visitors, To avoid large crowds of tourists consider the period after the carnival until the Easter holidays could be a good compromise, as well as in the winter period.

In order not to waste precious time plan your trip well in advance, studying the itineraries in detail, this will allow you to save precious time, an idea that could simplify access to the attractions, including skipping the lines could be to choose a Pass, such as the Venice Pass, which in addition to having the entrance to the main attractions contained in a single card, also has within it the use of the Venetian means of transport. Now you have all the tips to make the best of your trip to Venice. For you who are an art lover, this trip will remain in your heart.