Peggy Guggenheim Collection

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection

A cultural stop on the Venice audio-guided tour, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is one of the most important art addresses in the city, away from the tourist crowds. It occupies a palace on the Grand Canal with a singular destiny.

The unfinished palace

In the eighteenth century, the site belonged to the powerful Venier dei Leoni family, which aspired to build the finest palace on the Grand Canal. The project never came to fruition: the residence had only one floor, instead of the four planned, hence its nickname palazzo Nonfinito, the unfinished palace. In 1949, the American heiress Peggy Guggenheim bought the building.

What to see

A great collector and patron of many twentieth-century artists, Peggy Guggenheim assembled there an exceptional collection of modern art, with major works of abstract, cubist and surrealist art. The museum and its sculpture garden offer a unique artistic interlude beside the Grand Canal.

Practical information

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is in the Dorsoduro district, beside the Grand Canal. Opening days, hours and prices should be checked depending on the season with the museum.

Why is the palace nicknamed Nonfinito ?

Because it was never completed: only one floor built, instead of the four planned.

What does the Peggy Guggenheim museum present ?

An important collection of twentieth-century modern art, abstract, cubist and surrealist.