Museo di Palazzo Grimani

About the museum

The museum is housed in the historic Grimani residence of the Santa Maria Formosa branch, one of the most important families of the Venetian patriciate between the 15th and 19th centuries. Antonio Grimani bought the palazzo at the end of the 15th century and in 1521 was elected doge. In 1537 his descendants Vettore and Giovanni Grimani began the decoration of the palazzo, which in the 16th century became a centre of patronage and collecting.

Giovanni Grimani, Patriarch of Aquileia, assembled a famous collection of ancient sculptures. In 1587 he donated it to the Venetian Republic (Serenissima), asking that the statues remain together and be displayed in a manner appropriate to their value; from this bequest the Statuario pubblico of Venice was born. The family died out in 1865 with the death of Michele Grimani, who left no heirs.

Today the route begins in the 16th-century courtyard and continues through the rooms of the first floor, which recreate the atmosphere of a patrician residence, among mythological tales and decorations inspired by nature. The visit culminates in the Tribuna, where sculpture and architecture merge according to the principles of Renaissance harmony. The museum holds the collection of ancient sculptures of Patriarch Giovanni, displayed in the Tribuna and in the rooms of the piano nobile (main floor), and it is also a venue for contemporary art.

Highlights

• The Grimani Tribuna with ancient sculptures
• Collection of ancient sculptures of Patriarch Giovanni Grimani
• Rooms on the piano nobile (main floor) with decorations on mythological and natural themes
• 16th-century courtyard
• History of the Grimani family’s collecting and patronage

Permanent exhibition

• La Tribuna e le sculture antiche di Giovanni Grimani – The collection of ancient sculptures of Patriarch Giovanni Grimani is displayed in the Tribuna and in the rooms of the piano nobile (main floor).

Operated by

Ministero della Cultura – Musei Venezia Laguna

Visitors per year

approx. 56,048

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every first Sunday of the month, 25 April, 2 June and 4 November

Tickets are sold only at the ticket office or via the app and the Musei italiani portal. Other free admissions are listed on the museum’s website.

Accessibility

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

The museum is spread over three floors. The lift serves the first and second floors and can be used by one wheelchair user with a companion; on the second floor there is a change of level of three steps. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor. Tactile plans for each floor, a tactile model of the building and a guide in easy-to-read language and in AAC are being prepared. On request, microcapsule paper replicas of the frescoes and stuccoes are available. Two videos in Italian Sign Language (LIS), with subtitles and audio, present the history of the museum and of the Tribuna.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family activities on the occasion of events and holidays: Carnival, Kid Pass Days (May), Famiglie al Museo (second or third Sunday of October), a Halloween party, Avventure tra le pagine (November) and Christmas celebrations. Booking is mandatory; activities are included in the ticket (free for under-18s). At least one adult is needed for every two children.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Rugagiuffa, in the sestiere (district) of Castello, near Campo Santa Maria Formosa.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum has a dedicated page for private events.

Plan your visit