ACCADEMIA GALLERY Scuola Della Carita'

2:43

As I mentioned, the Academy of Fine Arts and its subsequent Gallery were established in a building with extensive history, and during this tour you passed through many ancient rooms which have been properly enhanced by the museum's set-up.

The most fascinating room, coincidentally also at the end of the tour, is the 15th century Sala dell'Albergo of the ancient Scuola della Carità: these schools were typical Venetian welfare associations. Even after being incorporated into the Academy, this room kept its original features including its furnishings: admire the beautiful carved and gilded ceiling, the paintings along the walls, and the woodwork. It's a kind of grand finale for the museum that underlines its connection with Venice's artistic history.

Look closely at the reliquary made by Venetian goldsmiths. It is a fine assembly of parts made in Constantinople in the 14th century; you can see four caskets made of rock crystal with fragments of the cross and the Robe of Christ, mounted in a frame with enamels depicting scenes from the Passion. The reliquary was so famous that you can find it very precisely reproduced in a painting by Gentile Bellini.

As you can see, one wall is entirely covered by a large pictorial composition by Antonio Vivarini that is divided into three parts. It shows the Madonna enthroned among angels and saints, and deserves your attention because it is one of the first Venetian paintings made on canvas. The vast scenery is filled with gold and decorations, according to late Gothic style.

Look at the wall with two doors, where you'll see the large Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, painted by Titian in 1538. In the master's long career, this is the only painting he did for the Schools, and it is different from all of his other works. The action is developed lengthwise and set in a theatrical fashion, with numerous figures that seem to be more actors than real characters. Regardless, if you compare Vivarini's work with the canvas by Titian, you can get a really good idea of the evolution Venetian painting underwent in less than a century.

 

FUN FACT: you can see mountains in the background of Titian's painting, which have been identified as the Marmarole Mountains, a group of the Dolomites in his homeland, Cadore. On nice days, Titian could even see their silhouette from his Venetian workshop that was located where the Fondamena Nuova neighborhood can now be found.

 

TravelMate recommends
Choose the option
that suits you
Buy Venice
Permanently unlock the app with all content of Venice for
€ 8,99
Buy
Promotion
Unlock audio content of all available cities for 3 years at the promotional price
€ 19,99
Buy
Don't miss out!
VENICE INTRODUCTION
1 Audio

VENICE INTRODUCTION

Venice has no equal. The whole city is built on the sea, on wooden piles: the buildings, squares and streets rest on the piles, most of which have remained intact for centuries and which run down...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
1 Audio

THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE

A typically Venetian starter is sarde in saor, fried sardines served with onions caramelized in vinegar, pine-nuts and raisins. The recipe originated from the sailors’ need to preserve food for...
ST. MARK'S
10 Audio

ST. MARK'S

Between a million pigeons, tourists, the café tables, and small orchestras, during daytime the square is always crowded. Consider that the esplanade in front of the cathedral was built starting...
DOGE'S PALACE
8 Audio

DOGE'S PALACE

I suggest admiring both sides of its exterior first before visiting its interior. It will be like plunging into the history of Venice, the queen of the seas!You should know that the Doge's Palace was...
GRAND CANAL
8 Audio

GRAND CANAL

You can see the canal all in one go by letting the banks pass you by from the windows of a vaporetto, or you can make a number of stops: each of the main buildings have their own dedicated audio...
ACCADEMIA GALLERY
10 Audio

ACCADEMIA GALLERY

For many centuries, the only bridge that remained standing over the Grand Canal was the Rialto Bridge: the other two only came after the mid-nineteenth century, were immediately indispensable and...
RIALTO BRIDGE
2 Audio

RIALTO BRIDGE

Of course the best viewpoint of the Rialto Bridge is from the water, and you've probably already seen it from a boat; even if the bridge is quite impressive when you pass under it, it's just as...
GUGGENHEIM
2 Audio

GUGGENHEIM

In 1948 the palace was bought by the whimsical collector and art dealer Peggy Guggenheim, who was fascinated by this unusual building. Guggenheim's life was like a story from a novel: born in New...
BASILICA OF THE FRIARS
7 Audio

BASILICA OF THE FRIARS

As you've probably already noticed, Venice isn't always easy to navigate what with its squares, hidden alleys, and tiny streets that lead directly to the water... It helps if you identify some...
SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO
4 Audio

SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which is located at the Basilica of the Frari and next to the church dedicated to the saint, is one of the most famous, not only for the building's Renaissance...
CORRER MUSEUM
3 Audio

CORRER MUSEUM

In the main museum in St. Mark's Square, which also extends to the rooms of the Napoleonica Wing, you'll find two very interesting collections: the historical memorabilia of the Republic of Venice,...
SAN ZANIPOLO
7 Audio

SAN ZANIPOLO

You are near one of the jewels of the city's Gothic architecture. The church of Saints John and Paul, known by the Venetians as San Zanìpolo, was built in 1200 by the Dominicans in this large...
CÀ REZZONICO
3 Audio

CÀ REZZONICO

You've surely already admired the palace while passing it on the Grand Canal: can you imagine a better place for hosting 18th-century paintings, furniture, and objects? The collections come from...
LA FENICE THEATER
1 Audio

LA FENICE THEATER

Even if you've never been here before, you'll probably already recognize the interior of this historic building from the fantastic New Year's concerts broadcast on TV. If it's true that fate is...
CÀ D'ORO
3 Audio

CÀ D'ORO

Ca' d'Oro was built in the first half of the 15th century for the aristocrat Marino Contarini: the building's project was designed by Lombard master builders, but its decoration was entrusted to a...
BIENNALE
2 Audio

BIENNALE

With celebrations, festivals, concerts, theater seasons, art exhibitions, and film, you'll never be bored in Venice! The Biennale is an eagerly awaited date that's held in odd-numbered years,...
THE GHETTO
3 Audio

THE GHETTO

The area was connected to the rest of the city by just these two small bridges, which you can still recognize today by the the stone slabs where the rules were engraved. In doing so the Ghetto could...
MURANO
3 Audio

MURANO

When choosing a souvenir from Venice (which range from expensive leather masks to small plastic gondolas), you will be offered a large assortment of glassware: colored beads, blown glass animals,...
MARCIANA LIBRARY
3 Audio

MARCIANA LIBRARY

Sansovino was practically adopted by Venice: he had been named Protomastro, which meant he was responsible for public buildings in the city, a position that allowed him to create splendid official...
SCUOLA DI S. GIORGIO DEGLI SCHIAVONI
2 Audio

SCUOLA DI S. GIORGIO DEGLI SCHIAVONI

Vittore Carpaccio is one of the protagonists of the Venetian Renaissance, famous above all for the great narrative scenes he painted for the "Schools", which were typical Venetian welfare...
ARSENAL
1 Audio

ARSENAL

This boat production complex was established shortly after the year 1000, and became the most highly concentrated workforce throughout Europe, reaching approximately 3,000 employees. Just think, the...
SAN SEBASTIANO
1 Audio

SAN SEBASTIANO

Little by little Paolo Veronese, the clearest and most festive painter of the full Venetian Renaissance, turned this church into a chamber of wonders. If you look around, you'll find that he has...
TravelMate App
DOWNLOAD NOW
THE TRAVELMATE APP
Purchase your activation code, download the TravelMate App, and turn your smartphone into your personal travel companion!
Listen to audio guides about the wonders of the world with TravelMate.
HAVE FUN!