Fondazione Querini Stampalia

About the museum

The Foundation arose from the will of Count Giovanni Querini Stampalia, who on 11 December 1868 left to the city of Venice the family palazzo with its art collections, library and archive, so that they would be available to the public to promote “il culto dei buoni studi” (the cult of good learning). The institution was established in 1869: the library opened immediately, with the evening and holiday hours wished by the founder, while the house museum on the second floor opened to the public in 1872.

The sixteenth-century palazzo overlooks Campo Santa Maria Formosa, in the sestiere of Castello. The collections began with the marriage of Francesco Querini and Paola Priluli (1528), whose portraits were painted by Palma il Vecchio, and grew until the end of the 18th century: paintings from the 14th century onwards, sculptures, furniture and furnishings, still visible in the rooms of the house museum, with works by Giovanni Bellini, Palma il Vecchio, Pietro Longhi and Giambattista Tiepolo.

The ground floor and garden were restructured by Carlo Scarpa between 1961 and 1963 and are among his best-known works; later other architects, including Valeriano Pastor, Mario Botta and Michele De Lucchi, added new spaces. Since 2018 the Foundation has also hosted the Collezione Intesa Sanpaolo and runs a contemporary art programme with works by artists such as Joseph Kosuth, Kiki Smith and Mona Hatoum. The library, with about 350,000 volumes, keeps its evening openings.

Highlights

• House museum with paintings by Bellini, Palma il Vecchio, Pietro Longhi and Tiepolo
• Ground floor and garden by Carlo Scarpa (1961–1963)
• Interventions by Mario Botta, Valeriano Pastor and Michele De Lucchi
• Collezione Intesa Sanpaolo with works by Tintoretto, Canaletto and Arturo Martini
• Historic library with evening openings

Permanent exhibitions

• Casa Museo – On the second floor the rooms retain the look of a real home, with furnishings, sculptures and paintings from the 14th century onwards by Bellini, Palma il Vecchio, Longhi and Tiepolo.
• Area Scarpa e giardino – The ground floor and garden redesigned by Carlo Scarpa between 1961 and 1963 are among the best-known works of contemporary architecture in Venice.
• Collezione Intesa Sanpaolo – Collection entrusted to the Foundation since 2018, with works by Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto, Canaletto, Ippolito Caffi and the sculptor Arturo Martini.

Founded

1869

Operated by

Fondazione Querini Stampalia

Director

Cristiana Collu

Visitors per year

approx. 52,845

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission every Sunday for residents of the Comune di Venezia.

A single ticket, valid for the whole day, gives access to the art collections, the Area Scarpa with the garden and the current exhibitions; online purchase with an open date is recommended. Free admission also for Friends of the Querini Stampalia, accredited journalists, licensed guides, ICOM members, holders of the Venezia Unica City Pass and other agreements. No skip-the-queue access is provided. The library (free registration), café and bookshop have free admission.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The main entrance is reached via a bridge with 14 steps (7 uphill and 7 downhill), with no ramps or lifts; a second step-free entrance is in Corte Nova (Castello 4793/4794): ring the intercom or call +39 041 271 1411. A lift on the ground floor (door 0.90 m wide) reaches all floors; the house museum, the library, the Collezione Intesa Sanpaolo and the exhibition spaces are reachable by lift, but between rooms II and III of the house museum there is a 16 cm step with alternative routes. The ground floor designed by Scarpa and the garden are under a monumental protection order and have steps and narrow passages: they are not accessible to wheelchair users. Two manual wheelchairs are available free of charge, even without booking; folding chairs are available on request. Accessible toilets on the ground floor. Guide dogs are admitted.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

A family ticket is available for 2 adults with children under 18. The Foundation offers family visits and, on set dates, a family escape room; the educational services offer workshops also for children aged 3 to 11.

Getting there & parking

The main entrance is in Campo Santa Maria Formosa (Castello 5252), across a bridge with steps; a second step-free entrance is in Corte Nova (Castello 4793/4794).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Café Mariona on the ground floor, run by Rosa Salva, overlooking Scarpa's garden; bookshop Libreria Giovanni. Free cloakroom on the ground floor while places last. Only guide dogs and animals for pet therapy are admitted; a custody service is available via Bauadvisor.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 150 guests.

The palazzo (7,500 m² on five floors) is available for hire: the Auditorium by Mario Botta (132 seats), the covered Courtyard (up to 150 people), three multipurpose rooms, the Area Scarpa with the garden (up to 150 people), the house museum and the third floor, also for events outside opening hours.

Plan your visit