25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia. It is located in Piazza San Marco, on the first floor of the “Procuratie Nuove”.
The National Archaeological Museum, is a state museum that exhibits classical Greek and Roman sculptures, bronzes, ceramics, gems and coins and a small collection of Egyptian and Assyrian-Babylonian antiquities.
It is the oldest museum in the city and is mainly made up of materials from private collections of distinguished Venetian families; donated to the city, starting from the sixteenth century.
The museum is part of an integrated itinerary, including the Correr Museum and the monumental rooms of the Marciana Library. Access, is by way of the Correr Museum.
Venice’s oldest museum
- Artifacts from the last 2,000 years, mostly from private collections of distinguished Venetian families
- Cost: Integrated ticket for Venice Museum Pass and St. Mark’s Square Museums.
- Suggested duration: 2 – 3 hours
Procuratie Nuove, to the left. Access is via the Correr Mueum, to the centre-right in the Napoleonic Wing
Museo Archeologico Nazionale – The Collection
The National Archaeological Museum, is a state museum that exhibits classical Greek and Roman sculptures, bronzes, ceramics, gems and coins and a small collection of Egyptian and Assyrian-Babylonian antiquities.
The museum, is mainly made up of materials from private collections of distinguished Venetian families; donated to the city, starting from the sixteenth century.
The origins of the museum, in fact, date back to the legacy of Domenico Grimani and to the donation of his nephew Giovanni, respectively in 1523 and 1587; by virtue of which, most of their ancient sculptures (over two hundred), went to establish the Public Statuary.
The Statuary was set up in 1596 for public display, in the “Antisala” of the San Marco Library and further donations enriched it during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. However, in 1812, by edict of Eugenio de Beauharnais; all the marbles were transferred to the Doge’s Palace.
In its current form, the Museum reflects the layout created by Carlo Anti, between 1923 and 1926.
The sculptures, largely deprived of the additions due to the Renaissance restorations; were arranged in twelve rooms divided by epochs, artistic schools and subjects. It offered an overview of classical sculpture from the fifth century BC, to the third century AD; in which particular attention was paid to the conspicuous group of Greek originals, already reported in 1898, in an essay by Adolf Furtwängler.
Some extensions were made between the 1950’s and 1960’s, following the deposit of the archaeological collections of the Civic Museums and the assignment of part of the collections of the San Donato di Zara Museum.
Finally, there was the donation of Giancarlo Ligabue in 1982; which consists of an interesting group of protohistoric bronzes. Since 1997, some works have been exhibited in the Vestibule of the Sansoviniana Library, in a reconstruction of two of the walls of the ancient Statuary; made following the drawings of the “Catalog”, by Anton Maria Zanetti the Younger (1736).
ITINERARY
In the rooms you can admire valuable Greek sculptures from the fifth and fourth centuries BC, portraits from the Roman era, reliefs, inscriptions, ceramics, ivories, gems and a rich numismatic collection.
There is also a small collection of Egyptian and Assyrian-Babylonian antiquities, deposited by the civic Correr Museum. The objects kept and exhibited here, come from the Venetian hinterland, from Rome and all over the eastern Mediterranean.
Audio Tours are available, linked to each of 17 rooms.
The result of centuries of collecting, the display is a singular testimony of Venice’s relationship with Antiquity.
LINKS (internal–external)
Stay updated on timetables and events and any health information
See also izi.travel guide to the museum-english
Tel. +39 041 296 76 63 Fax. +39 041 296 76 06 e-mail: [email protected]
Address: Procuratie Nuove – Piazza S. Marco – 17/52 – 30124 Venice
Opening Times: Every day:11.00 – 17:00 (last entry 16.00)
Entrance: Integrated ticket for St. Mark’s Square Museums. (Doge’s Palace – Correr Museum – Archaeological Museum – Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana)
Cost. Full: Euro 31 Reduced: Euro 19 Valid only on the date booked.
The Venice Museum Pass. (11 museums). Cost. Full: Euro 41 Reduced: Euro 24. Valid for 6 months on date of issue.
To widen your experience and enjoyment before visiting, please see my comprehensive and illustrated posts, linked below:
The main attractions to be found in the San Marco district
My other informative and illustrated posts, covering attractions related to St Mark’s Square:
The Clock Tower in St Mark’s Square
TOP 25 MUSEUMS. Select your museum and click on the link.
1 – Palazzo Ducale (The Doge’s Palace)
2 – Peggy Guggenheim Collection
6 – Scuola Grande di San Rocco
7 – San Servolo Insa*e Asylum Museum
8 – Palazzo Grassi (Francois Pinault Collection)
11 – Fondazione Querini Stampalia
16 – Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia
18 – Museo Storico Navale di Venezia
20 – Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova
24 – Museo Provinciale di Torcello
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia (not linked)
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale