An itinerary of magical places and events in Venice

Events to discover the magical places of Venice among art, environment, history, architecture

While the Accademia Galleries is celebrating Leonardo Da Vinci and the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista is revealing its hidden treasures, the Spazio Thetis garden is opening to the public with a new exhibition and the Church of San Lorenzo with the Ocean Space exhibition is presenting a calendar of events on research, art and science with the ocean as the main subject.

Among openings of exhibitions and walks in the less touristy districts of the city, here is an itinerary to contemplate the locus amenus of Venice and discover its hidden gems.

Monday 22nd and Thursday 25th April 2019 | Guided tours of the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista

To discover the secrets of the ancient monumental complex of La Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista, the appointment is on April 22nd, Easter Monday, and April 25th for a guided tour of the wonders of the School created by important architects such as Pietro Lombardo, Mauro Codussi, Giorgio Massari.

The architecture of this place has been enriched over time by artists of great importance such as Jacopo Palma il Giovane and Giandomenico Tiepolo. You will be captured by the characteristic geometric floor of the Chapter Hall and you will see the reliquary containing two fragments of the Holy Cross, donated by the Knight and Grand Chancellor of the Order of Jerusalem and Cyprus, Philippe da Mezières in 1369. It was this event that reaffirmed the necessity of building a space of such majesty.

The visit in Italian is scheduled at 2.30pm and the one in English at 4.00pm.

Reservations are required at museo@scuolasangiovanni.it.

Until September 29th, 2019 | Moving off the Land – Joan Jonas | Ocean Space, San Lorenzo

After almost one hundred years of closure, the Church of San Lorenzo reopens again to the public, in a completely new light: a space aimed at the scientific and artistic research on the Oceans, thanks to the Thyssen-Bornemisza gallery and its TBA21 – Academy project.

Since 24th March 2019, the church of San Lorenzo has hosted a platform for discussion on the theme of the Oceans, a space in total harmony with the identity of Venice, built on water.

Ocean Space was inaugurated with a monumental installation by the American artist Joan Jonas, pioneer of performance and video art.

The exhibition entitled Moving off the Land II is curated by Stefanie Hessler and is the result of three years of work in collaboration with TBA21 – Academy. You can visit the exhibition dedicated to the oceans until 29th September 2019.

Until November 24th 2019 | Friends – Artists, curators and gallery owners at Spazio Thetis | Bacini, Arsenale Nord

Thetis is an environmental engineering company that experiments and researches new design and technological paths with the aim of creating innovating processes and products. The headquarters is in the Northern Arsenal Basins where every year an experimental space dedicated to contemporary art is set up.

The exhibition “Friends Artists, curators and gallery owners at Spazio Thetis” at the Spazio Thetis has the mission to reflect on the interesting times of the present, in line with the theme of the 58th Venice Biennale May you live in interesting time.

On the occasion of the 2019 Art Biennale, Thetis proposes a collective work that celebrates the different contemporary artists who have accompanied with their works the more than twenty-year history of this exhibition space. They will share the spaces of the vast garden in the North Arsenal, one of the most fascinating places in Venice.

The exhibition is open to the public until November 24th, 2019.

Processed with VSCO with lv01 preset

Until 14th July 2019 | Leonardo Da Vinci, the model man of the world | Academy Galleries

Having the possibility to see the Vitruvian Man again at the Academy Galleries, this universal symbol of classical perfection of body and mind and a reflection of the entire cosmos, is always a source of pride for us Venetians. The five hundredth anniversary of the death of Leonardo Da Vinci offers the opportunity to visit Leonardo’s exhibition of drawings at the Galleries of the Academy of Venice.

The 25 autographed canvases offer an overview of the Renaissance genius’ production, and document his scientific research: proportional studies of the human body, botany, optics, physics, mechanics, weapons and the preparatory phases for some paintings such as studies for the famous Battle of Anghiari or the Sant’Anna with the Virgin and Child.

The exhibition will be open until July 14th.

Le visite guidate alla Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista

Per scoprire i segreti dell’antico complesso monumentale de La Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista l’appuntamento è con le visite guidate tra le meraviglie della Scuola realizzata da importanti architetti come Pietro Lombardo, Mauro Codussi, Giorgio Massari.

L’architettura di questo luogo è stata arricchita nel tempo da artisti di grande zelo: degni di menzione sono Jacopo Palma il Giovane e Giandomenico Tiepolo. Verrete catturati dal caratteristico pavimento geometrico della Sala Capitolare e potrete vedere il reliquiario contenente due frammenti della Santa Croce, donati nel 1369 dal Cavaliere e Gran Cancelliere dell’ordine di Gerusalemme e Cipro, Philippe da Mezières. È stato proprio questo evento a sancire la necessità di costruire uno spazio di tale maestosità.

La visita in lingua italiana è a pagamento ed è prevista alle 14:30, quella in inglese alle 16:00.
La prenotazione è obbligatoria all’indirizzo museo@scuolasangiovanni.it.

The cover photo is by Dave Krugman, the photos of San Giovanni Evangelista are by Riccardo rizzetto, the photos of the Arsenale are by Cinzia Gabriele and Inna Shnaider, the photos of the Academy are by Lorenzo Cinotti.