The Accademmia, which is housed in a 15th century deconsecrated church, has the distinction of being home to the world’s largest collection of classic Venetian art. The gallery spreads out across a series of large halls, all suitably dimly lit so as to preserve the paintings hanging on the walls. All the famous masters that were born- or at least lived- in Venice up to the 18th century are represented here: Tiepolo, Tintoretto, the Venezianos (Paulo and Lorenzo), the Bellinis (Gentile and Giovanni), Veronese, Canaletto, Giorgionne, Vittore Carpaccio, Caravaggio, and others.

An entire section is devoted to still lifes- complex arrangements of ornate (and rather unrealistic, in most cases) flowers, fruit, and vegetables, with the ubiquitous dead rabbit or pheasant tucked away next to an equally ubiquitous jar or decanter. All right, perhaps, but not something I’m particularly keen on. What did interest me, however, was a series of miniature still lifes: approximately the same paintings, but executed within a canvas that’s only a couple of inches in diameter. About a dozen of these still lifes were mounted in a glass case, with a magnifying glass on top so that you could examine them closely. Very fine.

Also in abundance were examples of religious and mythological art. There were lots of allegories and scenes from Greek mythology, as also depictions of Biblical stories. In the latter category, the one I found most arresting was Caravaggio’s The Crucifixion of Peter. It’s an amazing painting, a poignant work showing the white-haired Peter’s feet being nailed to the cross as he lies upside-down on it.

Other famous paintings in the Accademia include Giorgionne’s The Tempest, Titian’s John the Baptist, and Tintoretto’s St Mark Saving a Saracen from Shipwreck. One room houses the nine large paintings that comprise Carpaccio’s St Ursula series- the engagement and wedding of Ursula, her dream, her martyrdom, and so on. Impressive.

The Accademia opens at 8.15 AM and closes at 2 PM on Monday, 7.15 PM the rest of the week. Tickets cost €6.50 each, and are worth every cent. Fortunately for people who can’t understand Italian, all the paintings are labelled in English, and there are more detailed notes on some of the more significant works of art, such as the St Ursula series.

As you might guess, it can get very busy. We took a chance and didn't have to wait, but others have said that they endured long queues. So, to be safe, book your tickets well in advance and plan your visit around lunchtime or towards the end of the day to avoid wasting time in line.

Even though the building isn’t air-conditioned, we spend a couple hours moving through the 24 gallery rooms, inspecting the incredible paintings which cover 10 centuries of Italian history. At some point, Tom breaks me up when he announces he is only interested in looking at masterpieces. He says that he just doesn’t have time for minor works. I suspect that, if he’s like me, he also doesn’t have enough "ram" in his brain to absorb it all.

Napoleon set up the galley during the French occupation of Venice in 1807. It was moved around the city before finally ending up in its present location. Galleries are set up chronologically so that Room 1 has works by the earliest recorded Venetian painters, including Paolo Veneziano and Lorenzo Veneziano (Veneziano means, "of Venice"), whose works were accomplished in the 14th century. Rooms 2 through 5 contain works from the 15th and 16th centuries, including pieces by Giovanni Bellini, Carpaccio’s "Crucifixion," and Mantegna’s "St. George."

Room 6 is where the high Renaissance paintings begin and we see "The Creation of the Animals" and a series of St. Mark paintings, the patron Saint of Venice, by Tintoretto, "John the Baptist" by Titian, and Paolo Veronese’s "Christ in the House of Levi," for which he was dragged before the Inquisition, but ultimately released. Rooms 11 through 19 include additional works from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, including some Canova statuettes. I think it was here that Tom made his hilarious comment.

I am particularly taken by a number of paintings by Carpaccio, whom I hadn’t known much about prior to now. They include "Cure of a Lunatic" and a series, the "Story of St Ursula." Rooms 20 and 21 contain works with views of 15th- and 16th-century Venice by Carpaccio and Gentile Bellini. It’s incredible how little the city has changed. By the time I get to Room 24 and Titian’s transcendent "Presentation of the Virgin," I am in intellectual overload.

Admission fee is around 11€. A combo including Ca' d'Oro and Museo Orientale is about 5€ more. A free map naming art and artists is available. Take it. It’s good, better than my guidebook. It is closed Mondays. Photos are not allowed. Phone: 041/5222247 or 041/5200345 for reservations.