Gallerie dell'Accademia

The Gallerie dell'Accademia is a museum of pre-19th century art in Venice, northern Italy. Situated on the south bank of the Grand Canal, within the sestiere of Dorsoduro, it gives its name to one of the bridges across the canal, the Ponte dell'Accademia, and to the boat landing station for the vaporetto water bus.

The Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia was founded in 1750. The aim was to replicate official institutions which had existed for many years in other major artistic centers including Rome (Accademia di San Luca), Florence (Accademia del Disegno) and other ones. It was one of the first institutions to study art restoration starting in 1777. The Accademia was renamed the Accademia Reale di Belle Arti and moved to its present premises in 1807 by order of the Napoleonic occupying forces. This administration had disbanded many institutions in Venice including some churches, convents and Scuole. The Scuola della Carità, the Convento dei Canonici Lateranensi and the church of Santa Maria della Carità thus became the home of the Accademia and in 1817 the museum opened.

The Scuola della Carità was the oldest of the six Scuole Grande and the building dates back to 1343. The Convento dei Canonici Lateranensi was started in 1561 by Andrea Palladio, though it was never fully completed. The facade of Santa Maria della Carità was completed in 1441 by Bartolomeo Bon.

The Gallerie dell’Accademia contains masterpieces of Venetian painting up to the 18th century, generally arranged chronologically though some thematic displays are evident. Artists represented include: Canaletto, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Mantegna, da Messina, Tintoretto, Titian, Vasari, Leonardo da Vinci (Drawing of Vitruvian Man ) and many others.