Museum Correr
A bit of History

Since 1922, the Museo Correr has been located on St Mark’s Square, in the Napoleonic Wing of the Procuratie Nuove.

Napoleon chose the Procuratie Nuove as his palace in Venice in 1807, renovating and extending it, including commissioning the Napoleonic Wing. However, it was only completed later under Austrian Habsburg rule, serving as their residence when in Venice, and later as the Venetian residence of the King of Italy. Over the centuries, these rulers successively used the space, leaving a rich historical imprint.

The Napoleonic Wing connects the Nuove and Vecchie Procuratie, surrounding much of St Mark’s Square. Today, the Archaeological Museum also occupies part of this complex.

The wing was designed by architects Giovanni Antonio Antolini, Giuseppe Soli, and Lorenzo Santi. Expect a monumental portico, a grand staircase, and an opulent ballroom. Santi also designed the Giardini Reali, the royal gardens, ensuring the palace’s views of the Grand Canal remained unobstructed.

The interiors were decorated by Giuseppe Borsato, influenced by the Empire and Biedermeier styles. The ceiling fresco of the main staircase, The Glory of Neptune, was painted by Sebastiano Santi in 1837–38.

The museum is named after Teodoro Correr (1750–1830), a Venetian who donated his collection of books, manuscripts, paintings, and decorative arts to the city.