Arts and mysteries at the Correr Museum in Venice

The Correr Museum in Venice is home to an incredible collection of objects that tell the history of Venice and daily life in the times of the Venice Republic.

Hall 48 houses a number of drawings of the corporations of Arts, which one had to be registered with in order to engage in any kind of craft and trade in Venice. Created in the Middle Ages, the Arts remained in existence until the end of the Republic. The Arts had very strict regulations called Mariegola and were controlled by the State, in particular by the Old Magistrates of Justice, which had its headquarters in the Camerlenghi Palace at the Rialto Bridge, where these drawings come from.

The oldest ones, dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, usually present in the top section the coat of arms of the Old Justice Court; whereas at the bottom, they show the art being carried out, usually in a shop with the men at work. The other drawings are from the 18th century, although often the same picture was repainted several times over the years.

The execution of these works was usually entrusted to low-level painters, but they are certainly interesting due to the fact that they offer us a vivid picture of everyday life in bygone times and the history of the Republic of Venice.

With venetoinside.com you can visit the Correr Museum by purchasing online the Museum Pass or a cumulative ticket to visit the Museums of St. Mark's Square.