Official Information
Official websites: https://museogrimani.cultura.gov.it/
Official tickets: https://portale.museiitaliani.it/b2c/buyTicketless/bebf0f65-9e92-4165-81ea-242c6beeb83d
Address: Ruga Giuffa, Castello 4858, 30122 Venezia VE, Italy
Map: View on Google Maps
Opening Hours
Palazzo Grimani is typically open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00, with last admission about one hour before closing. The museum is closed on Mondays, 25 December, and 1 January. Hours can vary slightly for special exhibitions and events, so it is always best to confirm current opening times on the official website before your visit.
What to Expect
Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa stands out among Venetian palaces for its Renaissance character, with a strong Roman and classical influence visible in its architecture and decorative schemes. Built as the residence of the powerful Grimani family, the palace became especially significant under Giovanni Grimani, Patriarch of Aquileia, whose love of antiquities shaped both the structure and its early collections. Today it operates as a state museum managed by the Italian Ministry of Culture, and much of the visitor experience focuses on the restored rooms themselves.
Wandering through the palace, visitors encounter a series of impressive rooms organized around atmospheric courtyards and monumental staircases, more reminiscent of Roman palaces than most Venetian homes. The interiors showcase dramatic stucco work and painted ceilings by artists such as Federico Zuccari and Giovanni da Udine, a collaborator of Raphael. Several rooms were designed specifically to display classical marbles and ancient sculpture. While the original Grimani antiquities were dispersed over the centuries, part of the historic collection has been reconstructed in recent years, allowing guests to glimpse the intellectual and aesthetic vision of a humanist 16th-century residence. The celebrated Tribuna room, octagonal and dramatically high, is filled once again with marbles, providing insight into the palace’s unique approach to exhibiting its treasures.
The museum often hosts temporary exhibitions that complement or contrast with the historic interiors. Rather than following a set path of famous masterpieces, a visit is about absorbing the exceptional blend of architecture, decoration, and sculpture, with time to look up at spectacular ceilings or enjoy views of hidden corners of Venice framed by the palace windows.
Palazzo Grimani is a short walk from both the Rialto and Piazza San Marco, but its location along quieter routes means it avoids the busiest crowds. Visits typically last 60 to 90 minutes, though more time can be spent if special exhibitions are on view. Official ticketing, special event details, and practical visitor information are provided on the Veneto museum portal and the palace’s dedicated site.