Venice Art

Venice for Art Lovers

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Venice for Art Lovers

Lake Garda is a wonderful destination for a vacation and no visit is complete without a trip to Venice. It is just 176km away, an easy 2-hour drive along the main A4.


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Visitors flock to Venice, for the history, romance, unique waterways, architecture and its world famous collection of art. From the Accademia to the lovely gallery in the Palace Querini-Stampalia, those who appreciate art will be in ecstasy at the quality and quantity of these exceptional exhibits.

Begin your day at the Accademia on Campo della Carita overlooking the Grand Canal. The collection is housed in a complex of historic buildings which includes the former church and convent of Santa Maria della Carita. It opens at 8.15am each day, but avoid Mondays as it closes at 2pm, rather than the usual 7.15pm. The Galleria dell’ Accademia is a treasury of Venetian art, ranging from Renaissance masterpieces to Byzantine panels, but it is best known for its snapshots of everyday life, as well as for its famous showpieces. The huge number of masterpieces could keep you here all day, but there are plenty more wonderful artworks in store, so limit your time to a section which is of particular interest. The Byzantine section highlights are the ‘Coronation of the Virgin’ by Paolo Veneziano, which has an extensive use of gold, and the Giambono’s detailed ‘Coronation of the Virgin’. In the Venetian Renaissance section look for Bellini’s “Madonna Enthroned with Saints’, one of many of his acclaimed masterpieces housed here. Works by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto are the highlights of this wonderful collection. Although most paintings are on a religious theme, there are some wonderful Views of Venice by Canaletto and Guardi. The gallery provides useful information sheets in each room, and audio guides are also available in several languages.

Next stop should be the Peggy Guggenheim Collection at Dorsoduro, just 200m further along the Grand Canal towards the Lagoon. You will pass the deconsecrated church of San Gregorio, which is now used as a workshop for restoring paintings. The eccentric American heiress bought the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in 1949 and lived here, welcoming among her friends Picasso, Pollock, Magritte and many others. Her sizeable collection of 20th century modern art is in complete contrast to the massive Accademia but it is light and bright, and has a sculpture garden and an excellent café.

The perfect day for art lovers should also include some time in the San Polo and Santa Croce districts. This warren of alleys and squares hides some wonderful treasures of Bellini, Titian and Tintorretto in the Frari and Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Tintoretto left a wonderful legacy of his 24 years work in the Scuola whilst Titian’s glorious ‘Assumption of the Virgin’ crowns the main altar of the Frari, considered the finest Gothic church in Venice. End the day with a meal, perhaps at the lovely Il Refolo on the canalside in Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio or the more upmarket Al Nono Risorto trattoria in Campo San Cassiano, before heading back to Lake Garda.

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