Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, Italy

The Gallerie dell'Accademia is a museum gallery of pre-19th-century art in Venice. The former Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia was founded in 1750. In 1807 the academy was re-founded by Napoleonic decree and moved to the Palladian complex of the Scuola della Carità, where the Gallerie dell'Accademia are still housed. The collections of the Accademia were first opened to the public in 1817.

The Gallerie dell’Accademia contains masterpieces of Venetian painting up to the 18th century, generally arranged chronologically though some thematic displays are evident.

The gallery contains masterpieces for example from Canaletto, Carpaccio, Tintoretto, Titian and Leonardo da Vinci (Drawing of Vitruvian Man).

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

gaz h (3 months ago)
A must do, really. Our 9 year old boy enjoyed it too. It's not too big either. You should find most of the artwork incredible, whatever your tastes.

Chris Dickinson (3 months ago)
An impressive testimony to the collective religious imagination of Europe as expressed by the Venetian artists at their peak. The audio guide was a complete waste of money. Hardly any of the museum is included in the audio guide. Save yourself the 6€.

Steve Christopher (3 months ago)
Very nice with beautiful paintings and sculpture.. truly world class. The exhibits we're wonderful. We would have loved better markings to get through the rooms..during Covid times only.

Polf portal (5 months ago)
It's a really nice place with a really good security team. The paintings are interesting, and the statues look great. The fact that it closes at 2 PM is pretty annoying, but I'm sure they have a reason for that.

Yaacov Ozer (7 months ago)
Great museum with an impressive art collection of mostly local artists from the last 6 centuries. Convenient navigation, not very crowded (as I was there). The only remark is the ticket purchase process. I have bought tickets online and had a QR code, but actually it doesn’t help you to skip the line or gives any discount. You still have to wait to get to the cash desk to scan your ticket, and that’s all You don’t get a paper ticket or anything else, so it’s unclear why not just let you in when you have the ticket already.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Luiyo

Historic Site of the week

Lorca Castle

Castle of Lorca (Castillo de Lorca) is a fortress of medieval origin constructed between the 9th and 15th centuries. It consists of a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Lorca Castle was a key strategic point of contention between Christians and Muslims during the Reconquista.

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the castle has been inhabited since Neolithic times.

Muslim Era

It has not been determined exactly when a castle or fortress was first built on the hill. The first written documentation referring to a castle at Lorca is of Muslim origin, which in the 9th century, indicates that the city of Lurqa was an important town in the area ruled by Theudimer (Tudmir). During Muslim rule, Lorca Castle was an impregnable fortress and its interior was divided into two sections by the Espaldón Wall. In the western part, there was an area used to protect livestock and grain in times of danger. The eastern part had a neighbourhood called the barrio de Alcalá.

After Reconquista

Lorca was conquered by the Castilian Infante Don Alfonso, the future Alfonso X, in 1244, and the fortress became a key defensive point against the Kingdom of Granada. For 250 years, Lorca Castle was a watchpoint on the border between the Christian kingdom of Murcia and the Muslim state of Granada.

Alfonso X ordered the construction of the towers known as the Alfonsina and Espolón Towers, and strengthened and fixed the walls. Hardly a trace of the Muslim fortress remained due to this reconstruction. Muslim traces remain in the foundation stones and the wall known as the muro del Espaldón.

The Jewish Quarter was found within the alcazaba, the Moorish fortification, separated from the rest of the city by its walls. The physical separation had the purpose of protecting the Jewish people in the town from harm, but also had the result of keeping Christians and Jews separate, with the Christians inhabiting the lower part of town.

The remains of the Jewish Quarter extended over an area of 5,700 square m, and 12 homes and a synagogue have been found; the synagogue dates from the 14th century and is the only one found in the Murcia. The streets of the town had an irregular layout, adapted to the landscape, and is divided into four terraces. The synagogue was in the central location, and around it were the homes. The homes were of rectangular shape, with various compartmentalized rooms. The living quarters were elevated and a common feature was benches attached to the walls, kitchens, stand for earthenware jars, or cupboards.

Modern history

With the disappearance of the frontier after the conquest of Granada in 1492, Lorca Castle no longer became as important as before. With the expulsion of the Jews by order of Ferdinand and Isabella, Lorca Castle was also depopulated as a result. The castle was abandoned completely, and was almost a complete ruin by the 18th century. In the 19th century, the castle was refurbished due to the War of Spanish Independence. The walls and structures were repaired or modified and its medieval look changed. A battery of cannons was installed, for example, during this time. In 1931 Lorca Castle was declared a National Historic Monument.

Currently, a parador (luxury hotel) has been built within the castle. As a result, archaeological discoveries have been found, including the Jewish Quarter.

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