Palazzo Querini Stampalia

Palazzo Querini Stampalia is a palace in Venice, Italy. It is located in Castello district, on the left bank of the Grand Canal. The palace overlooks the river of Santa Maria Formosa.

Built in the 16th century, it is a typical example of the Italian Cinquecento architecture. From the very beginning it served as the residence of the Querini family. In 1869 Giovanni Querini, last descendant of the family, donated the palace together with the art collection to Venice. Quernini, a scientist himself, laid down some conditions in his will - the building should house a library open 'particularly in the evenings for the convenience of scholars' and there should be a foundation established to promote 'evening assemblies of scholars and scientists'.

Today, the palace is the seat of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia organising cultural events on its premises, mainly concerts and lectures. Also, a library, an archive, a museum and a contemporary art gallery can be found there. The museum has a substantial art collection, specially of masterpieces of Venetian Baroque and Rococo, including paintings by Giovanni Bellini, Pietro and Alessandro Longhi, Giandomenico Tiepolo, Giulio Carpioni, Federico Cervelli, Matteo Ghidoni, Pietro Muttoni, and Marco and Sebastiano Ricci among others. Particularly prized are the arcadian landscapes, genre scenes, and Longhi's series on the Seven Sacraments. The museum also contains furniture, porcelains and musical instruments.

Between 1961–1963, Carlo Scarpa restored parts of the building, while changing others. Scarpa created a series of islands, and allowed the water to come into the lobby space. He also restored the idea of a courtyard garden behind the building, with an abstracted rill fountain. Later 1990s additions, i.e. some noteworthy embellishments, a top floor gallery and a cafe design, are by Mario Botta.