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The Museo Correr The Civic Museum of Venice
The Museo Correr © Jean-luc Moreau - FOTOLIA The Museo Correr occupies the west and north wings of the procurator’s offices which enclose the Piazza San Marco on three sides. The west wing, known as the Napoleonic wing, was constructed on Napoleon's orders after he invaded the city and deposed the last doge in 1797. A tiny church, the San Gimigniano, formerly stood on the site, facing the Basilica di San Marco, but was demolished during the building works. The museum was founded by Count Teodoro Correr who donated his private art collection to the city in 1830. These works still form the nucleus of the exhibits, but the range of the collections has been broadened to encompass all aspects of Venetian art, history and culture. The entrance to the museum is through a magnificent marble staircase on the western side of the piazza. The first set of rooms contain 19th century neo-classical sculptures by the Venetian master Antonio Canova. Beyond theses rooms, there are a series of halls dedicated to the history of the Venetian Republic which display, amongst other things, armour, weapons, nautical maps and coins.
The Correr Museum displays an extensive collection of renaissance armour © Kurt De Bruyn - FOTOLIA The second floor houses an art gallery which includes a chronological sequence of paintings by Venetian artists and a lengthy explanation of how the Venetian school evolved under the influence of the Flemish masters. The most famous exhibits are two paintings by Vittore Carpaccio: the “Young Man in the Red Hat” (1492) and “Two Venetian Ladies” (1506). The latter is also known as “The Courtesans” since the dresses worn by the female figures were once considered disreputable.
Two Venetian Ladies by Vittore Carpaccio (1506), Museo Correr, Venice. Also known as the "Courtesans". The second floor also houses an exhibition dedicated to the “Risorgimento”, the 19th century reunification of Italy. It focuses on Italian history from the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 to the absorption of Venice in the new Kingdom of Italy in 1866. The Libreria Sansoviniana is located at the far end of the museum. It was originally constructed for the purpose of housing the library attached to the Basilica di San Marco, but is now used as an exhibition hall. The library walls are decorated with frescoes by Tintoretto, Veronese and Schiavone which depict famous philosophers such as Plato and Socrates; the ceiling is covered by a vast allegorical representation of “Wisdom” by Titian. The museum is open every day from 9am to 7pm between April to October and from 9am to 5pm between November and March. It is closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day. The Museo Correr is a short walk from the San Marco vaporetto stop. © 2006 LACT Limited. All rights reserved. Sitemap Ca' Rezzonico Palazzo Labia Museo Correr Contarini del Bovolo Fenice Opera House Naval History Museum Palazzo Venier dei Leoni Ca' d'Oro Ca' Pesaro Fondaco dei Turchi Palazzo Grassi Doge's Palace
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