Fondazione Giorgio Cini
Fondazione Giorgio Cini
Fondazione Giorgio Cini
The Cini Foundation in Venice
The Fondazione Giorgio Cini was established on 20 April 1951 and undertook the renovation and restoration of the buildings on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The foundation is named in memory of Giorgio Cini, son of industrialist Vittorio Cini, who tragically died in an accident in 1949.
The foundation restored the former Benedictine monastery located next to the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. The monastery had suffered extensive damage from Napoleonic looting and from the later use of the complex by the Italian military.
Today, it is a centre for arts and culture, and visitors can discover a wide range of exhibitions, collections and architectural treasures on the island.
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Last Modified: 20.04.2026 | Céline
Cini Foundation Venice
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Opening Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday to Sunday:
Different times for different access points
Prices
Cini Foundation OR Vatican Chapels OR Borges Labyrinth:
EUR 15 for adults aged 27 and over
EUR 13 for 15-26 year olds and seniors over 65
EUR 5 for 6-14 year olds
Prices
Cini Foundation OR Vatican Chapels OR Borges Labyrinth:
EUR 15 for adults aged 27 and over
EUR 13 for 15-26 year olds and seniors over 65
EUR 5 for 6-14 year olds
Prices
2-Pack Combo:
EUR 22 for adults aged 27 and over (Foundation + Labyrinth)
EUR 18 for 15- to 26-year-olds and seniors over 65
EUR 7 for 6- to 14-year-olds
3-Pack Combo:
EUR 28 for adults aged 27 and over (Foundation + Labyrinth + Chapels)
EUR 23 for 15- to 26-year-olds and seniors over 65
EUR 9 for 6- to 14-year-olds
What is there
to see?
Although we haven’t yet visited in person, we’ve done some research on the foundation. This report will be expanded once we’ve been on site – complete with photos.
So, what can you see on the island that belongs to the Cini Foundation?
First, there are the restored rooms of the former monastery, which the foundation has carefully renovated. Regular exhibitions are held here, and the architecture alone is worth a look. You’ll also find a replica of Veronese’s Wedding at Cana; the original is now in the Louvre in Paris.
The Vatican Chapels can be visited in the island’s wooded area, while children will enjoy the Borges Labyrinth.
The foundation also oversees the Stanze del Vetro – a glass museum with rotating exhibitions – and the Stanze della Fotografia, an international centre dedicated to photography. Both are located behind the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, which is also well worth visiting.
The Foundation in the Monastery
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Borges Labyrinth
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Vatican Chapels
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Le Stanze del Vetro
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Le Stanze della Fotografia
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The Former Monastery
The Foundation
The foundation and its historic rooms can only be visited on a guided audio tour. This includes access to the Palladio Cloister, the Buora Cloister, the Palladian Refectory – home to the replica of The Wedding at Cana – and the Photo Room. You can also glimpse the Manica Lunga Library (open to visitors at weekends) and the elegant Longhena Staircase.
Those wishing to add the labyrinth or the chapels will need an extended ticket. Tiqets currently offers a EUR 25 ticket that includes the foundation (as described above), the Borges Labyrinth, the Vatican Chapels, and the Teatro Verde.
The
Borges Labyrinth
Surprisingly, this labyrinth is a recent addition: it was inaugurated in 2011 in honour of the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.
Its design dates back to 1979, when architect Randoll Coate imagined it and described the idea in a letter to a friend who knew Borges personally. He wrote that if Borges were ever to have a monument, it should be a labyrinth.
When Borges died in 1986 at the age of 86 – and the same friend later passed away – the letter resurfaced, and the project gained momentum. In June 2011, the labyrinth was finally inaugurated by the Fondazione Cini and the Fundación Internacional Jorge Luis Borges, marking the 25th anniversary of the writer’s death.
The
Vatican Chapels
There are ten Vatican Chapels, created in the foundation’s woodland for the 16th International Architecture Biennale. With an audio guide and a staff member accompanying the visit, you can stroll through the forest and view these ten chapels, each designed by a different architect.
The architects came from Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Chile, Serbia and Paraguay. Their shared inspiration was the woodland chapel at Skogskyrkogården cemetery in Stockholm.
Glass Art
Le Stanze del Vetro
This is another arm of the foundation: an initiative run jointly with the Pentagram Foundation, dedicated to the study of 20th- and 21st-century glass art.
The aim is to provide a permanent exhibition space for solo and group shows by international contemporary artists, giving them a platform for their glasswork and encouraging experimentation with other materials. In short, it seeks to bring glass back into the spotlight of the contemporary art scene.
The venue offers 650 m² of exhibition space, and also hosts conferences and workshops. And where better than Venice, home to the famed glassmakers of Murano?
Opening information:
Only open during exhibitions. Check our exhibition page for more informations on exhibitions.
Photography
Le Stanze della Fotografia
Another wing of the complex is devoted to photography. Le Stanze della Fotografia is a centre focused on research and the advancement of photographic culture, offering workshops, seminars with national and international photographers, and postgraduate programmes.
Regular exhibitions are held here – featured artist like Paolo Pellegrin, Helmut Newton and others.
Opening hours:
Only open during exhibitions.
Prices:
EUR 14 adults
EUR 12 children 7+, students under 26, seniors 65+
Free for children up to 6
Official visitor website: visitcini.com/en/home-eng-3/
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich 2024 – 2026
Image rights Labirinth and Chapels: official homepage of the Foundation.
other
Sights in the area
San Giorgio Maggiore - The Church
find out more
Santa Maria della Salute
find out more
Pinault Collection - Punta Dogana
find out more