The palace was originally designed by architect Baldassarre Longhena in 1659 for the wealthy Pesaro family. However, the architect died before finishing the building, so work was taken on Gian Antonio Gaspari, who concluded the palace in 1710 following the original project. The Baroque design of the palace with some references to classicism too, mirrors that of the nearby Ca’ Rezzonico, which was another unfinished work of Longhena’s.

Set right on the Grand Canal, it’s intricately carved façade is distinguished by marble sculptures and columns.

However, the real attraction of the museum is its interior.

Although much of the original Pesaro family’s rich art collection has been lost, the museum has been the recipient of a number of generous gifts over the years which have contributed to today’s impressive collection of Modern art. In 1898, the palace was gifted to the city of Venice by the family Bevilacqua (the last owner of the property) and converted into a museum of Modern Art, the perfect place to house the city’s recently begun collection of Modern works. The collection has been steadily enriched over the years by donations and acquisitions from many other Italian museums and collections, and today features one of the most impressive collections of Modern Italian art in the world, including the sculptures of Medardo Rosso, the collection displayed during the first Venice Biennial and international artists of the 20^th century like Kandinsky, Chagall and Klimt.

Ca’ Pesaro

Santa Croce, 2076, 30135 Venice