Andrea Palladio’s Tablino at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice

More than simply the rooms where many masterpieces are exhibited, the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice are a work of art on their own right. It is in fact a complex that once housed a convent of the Canons regular of Santa Maria della Carità and a Scuola Grande that was subject to several alterations over the centuries.

One of the most fascinating places is definitely the Tablino, the ancient sacristy of the Chiesa della Carità. Andrea Palladio, probably one of the greatest architects of all time, worked on the Carità complex in the 1560s when he attempted to accommodate the requirements of the duties of the Canons regular whilst pursuing his ideals of classical architecture. This is how the Tablino came into being, a typical place of the Domus Romana, used by the house owner as a study room and to receive special guests.

In the monastery complex, the Tablino housed the Sacristy, where the priest made preparations before the liturgical functions.

Since 1806 this place has ceased to be a liturgical space and has now become a museum.

In it you can see the imposing official chair of Leopoldo Cicognara, head of the Academy of Venice between 1808-1825, designed by the great neoclassical artist Giuseppe Borsato and surrounded by plaster casts by one of the greatest sculptors of all time: Antonio Canova , a great friend of Cicognara himself.

If you wish to visit the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venezia, we recommend you book our guided tour that includes a walk in the charming Dorsoduro district!