Museo Correr

The Museo Correr is Venice's civic museum, housing its treasures in the Procuratie on St. Mark's Square. The entrance is in the Napoleonic Wing on the west side, while the museum also takes in the Procuratie Nuove to the south. The institution is named after the Venetian Teodoro Correr, who bequeathed his valuable collection of books, manuscripts, paintings, and decorative art objects to the city. These holdings came together at a time when many families had to sell off their art collections, which allowed Correr to acquire a large number of works. The foundation is supplemented by the collection of Emmanuele Antonio Cicogna, an expert on Venetian culture who collected more selectively, even though prices for artworks had already risen.

The museum's holdings are divided into three main areas. The extensive library includes some twelve thousand manuscripts from various family bequests, among them works that go back to the Doge Francesco Morosini. In the picture gallery, you can admire numerous works, including probably the best-known painting in the museum, "Two Venetian Ladies" by Vittore Carpaccio. The third section is the Museo del Risorgimento e dell'Ottocento Veneziano. Here, the history of Venice from the end of the Republic to the unification of Italy in the 19th century is documented through history paintings, costumes, documents, and engravings.