Loredan Cini Palace Museum

The Galleria di Palazzo Cini, a house-museum

Just steps from the Ponte dell’Accademia, on Campo San Vio, the Galleria di Palazzo Cini occupies part of the former Venetian residence of Vittorio Cini. More intimate than the nearby Gallerie dell’Accademia or the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, this house-museum retains the character of a private collection, with paintings, sculptures, furniture and art objects presented in the refined setting of a collector’s home.

Vittorio Cini’s collection in its original setting

The gallery preserves an important part of the collection of Vittorio Cini (1885-1977), industrialist, politician, philanthropist and great Italian collector of the 20th century. In 1951, he founded the Giorgio Cini Foundation on San Giorgio Maggiore in memory of his son Giorgio. His daughter Yana Cini Alliata di Montereale subsequently donated to the foundation part of the family collections and the palace’s spaces; the gallery was inaugurated in 1984.

The first floor has retained the spirit of a collector’s home: paintings sit alongside ivories, Renaissance enamels, porcelain, chests and antique furniture. This presentation gives the place an atmosphere very different from that of a large classical museum. The second floor is dedicated to temporary exhibitions and cultural events of the Giorgio Cini Foundation.

A small gallery in Dorsoduro

Its location between the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Punta della Dogana naturally integrates it into the museum itinerary of Dorsoduro. Modest in size but rich in several major works, Palazzo Cini is above all a complementary visit for lovers of Italian painting and historical collections.

Sources and further information

Palazzo Cini — official website ; Palazzo Cini — information and tickets.