25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale. The Archaeological Museum is in Piazza San Marco, Venice; on the first floor of the Procuratie Nuove.
The 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.
The Collection
Itinerary
Location – Opening Times – Tickets and Concessions – Discount passes
Top 25 recommended Museums
Links (internal–external)
Venice’s oldest museum:
- Artifacts from the last 2,000 years, mostly from private collections of distinguished Venetian families
- Suggested duration: 2 – 3 hours
Procuratie Nuove, to the left. Access is via the Correr Mueum, to the centre-right in the Napoleonic Wing
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale
The Collection 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale
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.
Location – Opening Times – Tickets and Concessions – Discount passes
Location
Museo Archeologico Nazionale Piazza San Marco 17/52 30124 Venice, Italy
Phone: +39 041 5225978 Fax: +39 041 5225978 Email: [email protected]
Opening Times
| Season | Days Open | Hours | Last Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1 – October 31 | Daily | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| November 1 – March 31 | Daily | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| Holidays Closed | January 1, December 25 | — |
Tickets
| Ticket Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Price | €8.00 | Valid for museum and Marciana Library monumental rooms |
| EU Citizens (18–25) | €2.00 | Must show valid ID |
| Children (<18) | Free | Any nationality, with ID |
| Residents of Venice | Free | Must show proof of residency |
Concessions & Free Entry
| Eligible Group | Entry Type | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Students (EU architecture, arts, etc.) | Free | Valid enrollment certificate |
| Teachers (Italian schools) | Free | Certificate signed by school director |
| Journalists (Italian association) | Free | Valid press card |
| Tour guides & interpreters | Free | Valid license |
| ICOM members | Free | Membership card |
| Disabled visitors + 1 companion | Free | Certified disability documentation |
| Ministry of Culture employees | Free | Valid ID |
Discount Passes
| Pass Type | Coverage |
|---|---|
| St. Mark’s Square Museums Pass | Includes Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Correr Museum, Marciana Library |
| Combined Ticket (from May 2025) | Valid for museum + Marciana Library monumental rooms |
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale
TOP 25 RECOMMENDED 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)
LINKS (internal–external)
Museum Home Page – National Archaeological Museum of Venice
VIDEO 6 mins:Venice National Archaeological Museum
To widen your experience and enjoyment before visiting, please see my other informative and illustrated posts; covering attractions related to St Mark’s Square:
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale 25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale