Located on the banks of Venice’s Grand Canal, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is hands down one of the finest museums of modern art in Italy.
💡 The Captain’s tip 💡
Want to know more about the history of Venice? Captain Ulysses highly recommends this free guided tour of the city. It’s up to you to choose how much you wish to tip the tour guide!
Looking for a hotel in Venice? Be sure to check out the Captain’s article: Where to stay in Venice? Advice & recommendations
Pou planning your trip to Venice? Be sure to check out Captain Ulysses’ complete article on what to see and do in the city: a Guide to Venice
Where is Tikal Peggy Guggenheim Collection in a few words
Palazzo Venier dei Leoni
Located on the Grand Canal in Venice, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is housed in the magnificent Venier dei Leoni Palace.
In the mid-17th century, the Veniers were one of the most powerful and wealthy families in Venice. To show everyone the true extent of their power, they decided to build a sumptuous palace on the Grand Canal, and entrusted the construction to architect Lorenzo Boschetti.
The building was to be one of the most luxurious palaces in Venice. But the Correr Family, whose palace was located on the opposit bank of the Grand Canal and considered one of the most beautiful in Venice, was far from thrilled to hear about the Veniers’ lavish project.
And the construction works ended up ceasing altogether. Was it for financial reasons or because of the Corrers? It remains a mystery to this day…
The origins of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The name “Guggenheim” is not unknown to you? That’s probably because this legendary family of patrons left a long-lasting mark on the art world in the 20th century.
Born in 1898 in New York, Peggy Guggenheim was the daughter of a wealthy banker. Her father tragically disappeared in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Her uncle, who was an art enthusiast, created in 1937 the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which now owns the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art in Bilbao.
Peggy inherited her family’s love for art. She was a regular in American and European intellectual circles and and befriended numerous artists, buying their pieces for her personnal collection. In 1942, she married famous painter and sculptor Max Ernst, but their romance was short-lived and the couple separated in 1946.
In the following years, Peggy Guggenheim kept on leading a Bohemian life and expanding her art collections. She supported confidential artists who soon gained international recognition, like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.
In the late 1940s, Peggy Guggenheim settled in Venice, in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, where she spent the last 30 years of her life. When she died in 1979, she donated her collections and her home (in the garden of which her ashes are buried) to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection opened to the public in 1980. It is now considered one of the finest museums of modern art in Italy, and Captain Ulysses most definitely agrees!
Visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Housed in beautiful Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a true favourite of Captain Ulysses’. The museum exhibits pieces of many of the finest artists of the 20th century,
including Pablo Picasso, George Braque, René Magritte, Vassily Kandinsky, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Alexander Calder, Marcel Duchamp, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Giorgio de Chirico, Fernand Léger, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.
Outside, the sculpture garden exhibits somptuous pieces from Giacometti, Brancusci, Moore and Kapoor.
Behind the palace, don’t miss the breathtaking view on the Grand Canal, as well as the iconic sculpture by Marino Marini entitled the Angelo della Città.
Captain Ulysses loved the Peggy Guggenheim Foundation and can only recommend that you stopover while in Venice: you definitely will not regret it! 😉
Access
Getting to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
To get to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, head to the Dorsoduro sestiere (district). The museum is located halfway between the Ponte dell’Accademia (Accademia Bridge) and Santa Maria della Salute. The nearest vaporetto stations are Accademia (lines 1 and 2) and Salute (line 1).
👉 Book your bus + vaporetto pass
Opening times
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is open every day of the week except on Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed on December 25th.
Admission
Ticket prices range from 15 euros for adults, to 13 euros for visitors over 65, and 9 euros for students under the age of 26. Admission is free for children under the age of 10.
Venice is a very (very) touristy city and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is no exception: the queue to enter the museum can prove somewhat daunting. To avoid waiting in line, you can book a ticket online in advance. especially during high season.
👉 Book your skip-the-line ticket to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
👉 Skip the lines: book your tickets and visits in Venice!
👉 Looking for tips and recommendations? Here are all of Captain Ulysses’ suggestions!
🛏️ Accommodation: Venice is a very touristy city and there is no shortage of accommodation, but they are generally rather expensive. If your budget is tight, Captain Ulysses suggests staying in Mestre, out of town. Accommodation is much more affordable and buses reach Venice very regularly.
As for mid-range options, Captain Ulysses highly recommends Hotel Le Isole. This hotel is very very well located a few steps from Saint Mark’s Square and the rooms are spacious and elegant… not to mention that breakfast is very good.
And if you’re looking for a more luxurious option in Venice, then Captain Ulysses most definitely recommends the Londra Palace nestled in a Venetian palace on the Riva degli Schiavoni.
🎟️ Activities: Tickets, guided tours, gondola tours, day-trips… There are plenty of things to do in Venice! But the city is often packed with tourists, which is why Captain Ulysses recommend that you book your activities online and opt for skip-the-line tickets. The Captain suggests having a look at GetYourGuide and Tiqets, which are online platforms specialised in selling tourist activities worldwide.
⛵ Cruises: Venice is synonymous gondola and vaporetto. As an accomplished sailor, Captain Ulysses can only recommend that you embark on a boat ride on the Venetian canals. But beware of scams: some gondoliers tend to take advantage of tourists! That’s why the Captain advises that you book your boat tour on a reputable website here.
🎫 Citypass: If you’re planning on visiting all of Venice’s top sights, Captain Ulysses recommends you to opt for a Citypass, which will give you access to a selection of the city’s must-see sights and monuments. There’s a variety of citypasses to choose from depending on what you’re looking for. Find out more here.
🚐 Transfers:To get to Venice from the airport, you’ll have three options: bus, vaporetto (orange Alilaguna Arancio line), or water taxi. It’s up to you to choose the option that works best for you! Be aware, however, that the historic centre is pedestrian, and buses and taxis are not allowed to operate there.
🚌 Local transport: Get ready to walk! The historic centre is not accessible to buses or cars.
The local kind of public transport is the vaporetto: boats travelling on the water. If you’re planning on using the vaporetto regularly (in Venice or to visit the surrounding islands like Murano and Burano), or if you are staying in Mestre and have to take the bus to Venice everyday, you might want to consider opting for a Public Transport Pass. You can book it here.
✈️ Flights: Venice is a city easily accessible by plane, train and bus. To book your plane tickets, Captain Ulysses recommends Skyscanner, which allows you to compare countless flights to find the best deal. If your dates are flexible, you can also compare prices over several months to find the cheapest flights possible. Overnight trains are also a great way to save time (and money) ! For more information, visit Omio.
Leave a reply