Museo della Musica

Located in the Church of San Maurizio, Museo della Musica displays a collection of historical musical instruments, focusing on Baroque music and Antonio Vivaldi.

Planning your visit

The Museo della Musica occupies the deconsecrated church of San Maurizio, a short walk from Piazza San Marco, and admission is free — the model is that the museum displays historical instruments and the associated Interpreti Veneziani concerts are sold separately in nearby churches. The collection focuses on the Baroque and on Venice's central place in it: violins, violas, cellos and lutes, many by significant makers, alongside material on Antonio Vivaldi, who spent most of his career here as violin master at the Ospedale della Pieta, an orphanage for girls whose musicians became famous across Europe.

The instruments are the substance: seeing how a Baroque violin differs from a modern one — the shorter neck, gut strings, lower tension, different bow — explains a good deal about why period-instrument performance sounds as it does. Violin-making tools and workshop material cover the craft.

The church setting is atmospheric and the display is compact; allow half an hour.

Bookable options are typically Vivaldi and Baroque concert tickets with museum access included, performed by ensembles in Venetian churches — which is the appropriate way to hear this music, in the acoustics it was written for. Current availability is listed below.