Special 50 Day Exhibition: Canaletto visits Venice, Daytime Visit

270 years later, for just 50 days, Canaletto returns to the place where he painted one of his best known works: Entrance to the Grand Canal and the Basilica of the Salute. The Abbey of Saint Gregory. More than an exhibition this is an emotional journey. To be savoured alone, by night and by day.


Info & Booking

Abbazia di San Gregorio, Dorsoduro - Venezia

270 years later, for just 50 days, Canaletto returns to the place where he painted one of his best known works: Entrance to the Grand Canal and the Basilica of the Salute. The Abbey of Saint Gregory. More than an exhibition this is an emotional journey. To be savoured alone, by night and by day.

From November 10 to December 27, 2013. Upon reservation only.

Opening hours:

  • Daytime visits: every day, each hour, from 9am to 9pm.
  • Night visits: everyday, each hour, from 10pm to 8am.

Maximum 8 people per group, each hour. It is also possible to make a private visit for smaller groups or individuals by purchasing the whole hour spot.

Duration of the visit: 1 hour, during which visitors will be able to manage their time as their pace without the constraints of location and film viewing.

In the porch, it will be screened the film "Point of View" by Francesco Patierno (duration 3 hours and 30 minutes).

In the adjacent room to that of Canaletto, a movie will be screened, edited by Maurizio Calvezi, showing the details of the framework for a fresh and very detailed study of the work (duration 7 minutes),

Depending on the time of visit, visitors will be offered a drink (coffee, tea, soda, etc.).

At the exit, each visitor will be given a commemorative photo of the event reproduced on paper.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
The time you select on the order form is your preferred time. We will automatically confirm the closest available time, which can be any time during opening hours on the selected date if your preferred time is no longer available.

Reservations must be made with a minimum of 1-day notice.

Save time ordering! Add all the museum tickets you want to your basket, then fill in the form and send your request.

PLEASE NOTE:
Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive an email with your order summary plus a second email confirming your successful payment. A confirmation email with links to the vouchers will be sent one business day after you place your order (Monday afternoon for orders submitted on Friday and during the weekend). Please make sure that your anti-spam filter does not block automatic emails from [email protected].

Cancellation Policy: Once a confirmation code has been assigned, reservation cannot be canceled nor modified.

How to get there:

By car â?¨

You’ll be approaching Venice on the A4 Autostrada from the North or South (if you’re driving in on the A27 from Trieste, you’ll merge with the A4 a few kilometers North of Mestre). â?¨Use the central Mestre exit if you’re coming from the South. â?¨From the North, take the Mestre Est-Favorita exit. â?¨Follow the signs to your destination, depending on whether you’d prefer to park on the mainland (which is easier) or at the edge of Venice’s historic center (which can be easy or a nightmare, depending on whether traffic on the causeway is backed up).

Throught Terminal Fusina, directly connected by the highway A4 and by the SS.309 Romea, it’s also easy to reach San Gregorio Abbey. Follow the signs ”Parking + Boat to Venice”, park in Fusina, catch the public ferry line Fusina-Zattere. The arrival point is located only 200 mt. from the exhibition sites.

By train â?¨

Many domestic and international trains discharge passengers at the Stazione Ferroviaria Santa Lucia, modern railway station in the historic center, next to the causeway that leads to the mainland.

By plane â?¨

The major airlines fly into Marco Polo Airport, Venice International Airport, which is 6 km from the city on the Venetian lagoon. â?¨Next, follow the signs outside the terminal doors to the Alilaguna water bus(it’s easy to take an Alilaguna water bus or a water taxi from Marco Polo Airport to Venice). Alternatively, you can ride an Atvo or Actv airport busto reach the Piazzale Roma.

From the train station and Piazzale Roma:

You can get to San Gregorio Abbey by using the vaporetto on line 1 (stop Salute).

Special 50 Day Exhibition: Canaletto visits Venice – Daytime Visit

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! 270 years after it was painted, Canaletto's masterful Entrance to the Grand Canal and the Basilica of the Salute will be back exactly where it was created – for just 50 days.

Experience the enchanting loggia inside of the Abbey of San Gregorio, the very place where the great landscape artist conceived and painted this masterpiece. Using his camera obscura, Canaletto traced the lines of the buildings of unparalleled architectural magnificence that he painted onto this famous canvas between 1740 and 1745. The work shows a sweeping vista over the Grand Canal entrance into Saint Mark's Basin. From the right, it includes a view of the Basilica of the Salute – a Baroque wonder of white marble created by Baldassare Longhena as an expression of Venice's gratitude after yet another outbreak of the plague had been banished from the city (in Italian, Salute means health). Further on, you see the Magazzini del Sale (salt warehouses) and the Punta della Dogana (customhouse), while the Doge’s Palace and the Riva degli Schiavoni promenade along the waters of Saint Mark's Basin rise on the other side of the Grand Canal.

All of this beauty forms the backdrop to the teeming city life. Noblemen and merchants converse in front of the Doge's Palace, boatmen and local gondoliers moor in front of the Basilica, sacks of salt, barrels of wine, and bales of cotton are stored in the warehouses at the Punta della Dogana customs buildings. The scene is illuminated by an azure sky which stretches over the sea and reflects in the turquoise water.

Canaletto was a master at solving the problem which has vexed so many landscape artists - how to encompass in a single view that which the eye cannot perceive without movement. This work represents the apex of his magical ability. The composition is harmonious and balanced with an angle and composition that even the most audacious of the Impressionist painters struggled to match almost two centuries later.

The painting’s first owner, Lady Lucas and Dingwall was enchanted by it. It was then purchased by Henry Grey, the Duke of Kent. In April 1970, it was bought by it’s current private owner at an auction at Sotheby’s in London. Before coming back “home” for a short while, this Canaletto oil painting has been on display in Madrid (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum), Rome (Vittoriano), Milan (Palazzo Reale) and in Paris (Maillol Museum).

For 50 days only, a unique cultural and emotional experience will be created in the painting's place of origin in Venice with exhibition techniques never used before in Europe.

Your visit will start by experiencing the majesty of the medieval Abbey of Saint Gregory and culminate with a visit to the splendid corner room from which Canaletto worked, with its unique view of the Basilica della Salute, the Grand Canal and Saint Mark's Basin. Open to the public for the first time in many years, this room will host Canaletto's painting in a simply unparalleled location offering visitors the opportunity to compare the painting with the view the artist used as inspiration.

The experience of entering this magnificent, austere place and feeling the silence in which generations of Benedictine monks prayed throughout almost seven centuries is, if possible, even more powerful by night. An exceptional measure is making the exhibition accessible even throughout the night, allowing the painting to be on display 24 hours a day to allow visitors to enjoy the painting for a full hour alone or with a few friends. A maximum of 8 visitors will be admitted each hour, with mandatory advance booking.

As part of this unique exhibition, a video has been produced to introduce the artist and the painting. A genuine piece of art-house cinema, the video was made by Francesco Patierno, director and scriptwriter famous for his documentaries, short films, and commercials. Patierno's first film Pater Familias was shown at the Berlin Film Festival and at more than 50 other festivals across the world. Since then, a string of successes has brought him increased recognition and several awards in Italy and abroad.

Together with Tonino Zera, Francesco Patierno was commissioned to create the unique exhibition experience around Canaletto's masterpiece. Zera is an expert production designer who has worked with well-respected Italian and international directors including Liliana Cavani, Gabriele Muccino, Carlo Carlei, Spike Lee, Sam Mendes, and Dennis Hopper. He has been nominated four times for the David di Donatello for Best Production Design for his work in La Sconosciuta by Giuseppe Tornatore, Hotel Meina by Carlo Lizzani, La prima cosa bella by Paolo Virzì and Gli angeli del male by Michele Placido.

Cinematography was entrusted to the internationally renowned Maurizio Calvezi who filmed the details of the painting using an innovative technique in extremely high definition. This film will be available as a multimedia experience providing a deeper understanding of the work.

Step into the magic of San Gregorio, experience the magic of Canaletto, enjoy the magic of the best of independent cinema – and above all, the unparalleled magic of Venice. Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime cultural event!

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