Our first stop this morning is the Correr Museum in the Napoleonic Wing, Piazza San Marco. I had been here in December, and I enjoy my visit just as much this time. It is a superb museum in terms of its artistic treasures, incredibly restored library, and archeological exhibits, which go back to Roman times, when Venice was just a collection of mud huts in a marsh. The murals in the library are worth the trip by themselves.
I like the idea that the museum combines the art and history of Venice. The original collection, donated by Teodoro Correr, dates from 1830. Most of the historic material focuses on the history of Venice from the 13th to the 16th century, and almost any objects that have survived from medieval and renaissance Venice are fair game for inclusion. There are also 15 rooms devoted to the resurgence in Italian nationalism that culminated in the Unification of Italy in 1866.
The first section consists of a series of neoclassical rooms that once housed royalty, but now contain, among many other attractions, a number of works by one of the greatest sculptors of the Napoleonic era, Antonio Canova. Farther in are large rooms that were once government offices, but now contain collections that document various aspects of Venetian history: daily life, public institutions, naval battles, local festivities, and major buildings.
Sprinkled throughout are dozens of works by the prolific Bellini family. There is Jacopo Bellini’s "Crucifixion" and his son Gentile’s "Portrait of Doge Mocenigo." Gentile’s brother, Giovanni Bellini, is represented by the "Crucifixion" and the "Transfiguration," and the artistically important "Pieta." There are other works by less-famous Venetian artists. Even though laminated information guides are available in English, it pays to also have a good guidebook as the guides are sometimes missing.
The Libreria Sansoviniana is at the far end of the building. The interior architecture and furnishings are almost as interesting as the murals and statuary. Originally commissioned to house the Biblioteca Marciana (Library of St Mark), it’s now an exhibition space. The vestibule ceiling is a huge Titian fresco, "Wisdom." The main hall has paintings of many of the great philosophers by Tintoretto, Veronese, and Andrea Schiavone. I somehow feel transported back to Venice’s Golden Years when I’m here.
Tucked away in a separate section, we discover many archeological artifacts from Greek and Roman times, including a bust of Julius Caesar. Some of these pieces are from the digs at Pompeii, some from nearby Ravenna. What with everything else, it’s almost too much. This is a very comprehensive, large museum with much to see. Plan accordingly.
It is open every day. A single combination admission, including the Doge's Palace, is 16€, with concessions for EU citizens. Photography is forbidden and closely monitored.