Gallerie dell'Accademia
The Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia opened its doors on the 24th of September 1750. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta served as the first director of this new institution. Gianbattista Tiepolo later became the first president after returning from Würzburg. The official statute for the academy dates from 1756. This school was one of the earliest to study art restoration starting in 1777 with Pietro Edwards. The course formalized by 1819 established a curriculum for preserving old works.
A Napoleonic decree re-founded the academy in 1807 and changed its name to Accademia Reale di Belle Arti. The institution moved into the Palladian complex known as the Scuola della Carità. Collections were first opened to the public on the 10th of August 1817. The building sits on the south bank of the Grand Canal within the sestiere of Dorsoduro. A few weeks every six years the museum houses Leonardo da Vinci's drawing The Vitruvian Man. The gallery remains housed in the same location today.
The Scuola della Carità dates back to 1343 though the scuola itself formed in 1260. It stood as the oldest of the six Scuole Grandi in Venice. The Convento dei Canonici Lateranensi started in 1561 by Andrea Palladio but never fully completed. Bartolomeo Bon finished the facade of Santa Maria della Carità in 1441. The Napoleonic administration disbanded many institutions including churches and convents to create this home for the Accademia. The two institutions remained in the same building until 2004 when the art school moved elsewhere.
The Gallerie dell'Accademia became independent from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia in 1879. Like other state museums in Italy it falls under the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali. This ministry is known as the Italian Ministry of Culture and Heritage. The Ponte dell'Accademia and the Accademia boat landing station for the vaporetto water bus are named after these institutions. The gallery operates independently while maintaining its historical connection to the original academy founded in 1750.
Masterpieces of Venetian painting up to the 19th century fill the collection generally arranged chronologically. Artists represented include Giovanni d'Alemagna, Jacopo Bassano, and Gentile Bellini. Hieronymus Bosch and Canaletto appear alongside Bernardo Bellotto and Paris Bordone. Titian and Giorgione stand among the most famous names displayed here. The scope extends from the Trecento through the nineteenth century with some thematic displays evident. A list of artists includes Andrea Mantegna, Paolo Veronese, and Francesco Hayez.
Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of the Vitruvian Man is not displayed for visitors except on very rare occasions. The work being on paper is fragile and sensitive to light. In 2019 the Louvre in Paris requested the loan of the drawing for its exhibition of works by Leonardo. The request was refused by a cultural heritage group initially. A court tribunal in Venice decided that the work would suffer no ill effects if shipped with great care. The work was part of the Louvre's exhibition from the 24th of October 2019 to the 24th of February 2020.
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Common questions
When did the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia open its doors?
The Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia opened its doors on the 24th of September 1750. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta served as the first director of this new institution.
Where is the Gallerie dell'Accademia located in Venice?
The gallery sits on the south bank of the Grand Canal within the sestiere of Dorsoduro. It occupies the Palladian complex known as the Scuola della Carità which dates back to 1343.
What happened to the Gallerie dell'Accademia during the Napoleonic era?
A Napoleonic decree re-founded the academy in 1807 and changed its name to Accademia Reale di Belle Arti. The Napoleonic administration disbanded many institutions including churches and convents to create a home for the academy.
Why was Leonardo da Vinci's drawing The Vitruvian Man sent to Paris in 2019?
The Louvre in Paris requested the loan of the drawing for its exhibition of works by Leonardo. A court tribunal in Venice decided that the work would suffer no ill effects if shipped with great care.
Which artists are represented in the collection at the Gallerie dell'Accademia?
Artists represented include Giovanni d'Alemagna, Jacopo Bassano, Gentile Bellini, Hieronymus Bosch, Canaletto, Bernardo Bellotto, Paris Bordone, Titian, Giorgione, Andrea Mantegna, Paolo Veronese, and Francesco Hayez. Masterpieces of Venetian painting up to the 19th century fill the collection generally arranged chronologically.