The Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice has the most extensive collection of Venetian art in the world. World-famous artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, Bellini and Veronese are represented. Also on display are many works by 18th century vedutisti such as Canaletto and Tiepolo. Unfortunately, the most famous item in its collection is but rarely on display.
Gallerie dell’Accademia Venice
Address, opening times and admission price
The address of the Gallerie dell’Accademia is: Campo della Carità – Dorsoduro n. 1050 – 30100 Venezia. From the Santa Lucia train station take water bus 1 or 2 (stop: Accademia) or line 5.1 (stop: Zattere). The museum is open from 8:15 to 19:15 except on Monday when it closes at 14:00. The Galleria dell’Accademia is closed on December 25 and January 1. The ticket office closes 45 minutes before closing time. A combined ticket for the Galleria dell’Accademia and Palazzo Grimani costs 9 Euro. Europeans aged 18 to 25 pay only 6 Euro for this. Europeans over 65 and under 18 can enter for free. (Don’t forget to bring an official ID card). Disabled people (with one accompanying person) also have free entry. There is a reservation fee of 1,50 Euro per person. On Valentine’s Day couples only have to pay one ticket. On Women’s Day women can enter free of charge. For information and reservations call (+39 041 5200345) or write (email: info@gallerieaccademia.org). You can pay in advance by bank transfer or by credit card (VISA or MasterCard).
History and description
The Galleria dell’Accademia is housed in the Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Carità. This is one of the oldest lay fraternities in the city. The eponymous church and the convent of the Canonici Lateranensi are also part of the Accademia complex.
The collection features many paintings from Venice (including the Veneto) itself beginning in the 14th century and continuing with Byzantine and Renaissance painting.
Vitruvian Man
The most famous work in the Galleria dell’Accademia is Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” (circa 1490). The drawing depicts the perfect body proportions of a man, as described by Vitruvius in his De Architectura, with the belly button exactly in the middle and the length of the outstretched arms equal to that of the height of the body. The accompanying text is in mirror writing. Since the paper is extremely fragile, the drawing is rarely exposed to daylight. The Vitruvian man is depicted on the Italian 1 Euro coin.