CA’ REZZONICO - MUSEUM OF 18TH-CENTURY VENICE
SOCIAL HISTORY
Self-guided visit of the museum - second floor
I have left the Portego on the first floor.
I go up two flights of stairs to reach the second floor.
After the first flight, I can see some carved images on the wall.
These images are called bas-reliefs (low sculptures).
One bas-relief depicts the hero Perseus.
Perseus is riding his flying horse and saving Desdemona from the sea monster.
Now I go up the second flight of stairs.
I enter the second floor of the museum through this wooden door.
If I have taken the lift, I enter through the same wooden door.
I am on the second floor and I continue my visit.
The tour begins in room 12, where I am now, and ends in room 19.
I will visit 8 rooms in total.
12
16
17
18
19
15
14
13
The tour of the second floor will be complete when the bar is completely green.
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Room 12 - Picture gallery
The most important paintings in the museum are displayed in
this room, called the ‘Portego'.
People usually walk around the room to admire the paintings.
They especially like the ones by the famous painter called Canaletto.
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I move on to the next room through this doorway.
Room 13 - Giandomenico Tiepolo in Zianigo
In this room and in the next ones there are paintings on the walls.
These wall paintings are called frescoes.
The artist Giandomenico Tiepolo made them for his villa in
Zianigo, near Venice.
Many people look at and take pictures of the fresco with the little falcon.
If I feel tired, I can sit down and rest.
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The next rooms are very small and may be crowded.
I may find people ahead of me.
I will wait my turn to go through the rooms.
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Room 13 - Giandomenico Tiepolo in Zianigo
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In this room, there is a large fresco.
Its name is ’New World’.
In the fresco, there is Pulcinella.
Pulcinella is a Neapolitan mask from the commedia dell'arte
(a kind of Italian theatre).
From this entrance, I can see other frescoes with Pulcinella.
The room is small and may be crowded.
I wait my turn to enter.
Room 13 - The Pulcinella room
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In this room, Pulcinella is the star of the frescoes.
If I look up, I can see a fresco on the ceiling.
Its name is “Pulcinella’s Swing”.
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To continue the tour, I go back.
From the room with the large ‘New World’ fresco,
I enter the room called Chapel.
The Chapel is a place for prayer.
It might be crowded, so I wait for my turn before entering.
Room 13 - The Chapel
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In this room there is a marble altar.
Behind the altar is the painting (an altarpiece) of the ‘Madonna and Child Adored by Saint Jerome Miani and Saint James the Apostle’ by Giandomenico Tiepolo.
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To continue the tour, I go back.
From the room with the large ‘New World’ fresco, I follow the
signs to another very small room.
Room 13 - The centaurs’ room and the satyrs’ room
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In this room and in the next one, the frescoes are painted in
a single colour.
These are called monochrome frescoes.
The frescoes tell stories of imaginary creatures.
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To leave these small rooms, I go back.
I follow the signs to room 14.
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The light is very bright in this corridor.
Sometimes, the light can bother me.
If it bothers me, I can put on my sunglasses.
If I am tired, I can sit down and rest.
Room 14 - The harpsichord room
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In this room, there is a musical instrument.
It is called harpsichord.
People like to go up close to the harpsichord to get a better
look at it.
I can also go near it slowly to observe it.
When I go near, I am careful and I respect the instrument.
To get to the next room, I have to go through a
very narrow passage.
There may be people ahead of me.
To go through this passage, I wait for
my turn in room 14.
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Room 15 - The ‘Parlour’ room
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In this room I can see a painting called ‘Foyer of palazzo
Dandolo at Saint Moisè” by the painter Francesco Guardi.
The foyer (Ridotto) was a large gambling house.
In this painting, I can see some people wearing masks.
Room 12 - Picture gallery
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I have returned to the picture gallery.
Here are the most important paintings.
Many people like to look at them carefully.
I can also observe them calmly.
To continue the visit, I enter through the door near Canaletto’s paintings.
Room 16 - The Longhi room
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In this room there are paintings by Pietro Longhi.
His paintings show everyday life in Venice a long time ago
(1700s).
I can get close to the paintings to look better.
There are many details to see: nobles wearing masks, farmers, animals...
I can observe the details.
Room 17 - The green lacquer room
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In this room, there is furniture decorated with oriental characters,
cherry trees, and more.
There are also painted terracotta figures from China.
Many people look at and take photos of the furniture and painted terracotta figures.
I too can look at and take pictures of the furniture and Chinese figures.
If I need help or information (where is the toilet, where is the café, where can I rest…), I can ask the museum staff.
Room 18 - The Guardi room
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This room contains the sculpture ‘Allegory of Purity’ by Antonio
Corradini.
The sculpture is made of marble.
It shows a lady with a veil on her face.
Room 19 - Alcove
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This room has been reconstructed to resemble a bedroom
from a long time ago (1700s).
There are also dressing rooms, wardrobes, and a small
room.
There is also a decorated wooden cradle.
To enter the wardrobe room, I have to go through a very narrow passage.
I may find people ahead of me.
To go through this passage, I wait for
my turn in room 19.
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From the wardrobe room, I can see the small private room of the noblewoman.
It is called a boudoir.
I cannot enter this small room, but I can take photos.
I go back to room 18.
I go through the door on my left to return to the picture gallery.
From that room, I can go to the third floor of the museum or go down to the ground floor.
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If I want to go down to the ground floor of the museum, I can take the lift or use the stairs.
I'm back in the hallway, on the ground floor.
If I'm hungry I can ask those with me for a snack.
In the hallway there are benches to sit on and the Cafeteria.
Before leaving the museum, I go to the cloakroom.
I pick up my jacket and backpack, if I left them there.
I leave the museum through the large wooden door.
I can also leave the museum by walking all the way down the hallway.
I cross the hallway, exit through the large door, and turn right.
If I want to go up to the third floor of the museum I can take the lift or use the stairs.
If I liked the visit, I can return to the museum again.
MUVE EDUCATION
Educational Activities Office
Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia
Mauro Bon
with Riccardo Bon, Claudia Calabresi, Cristina Gazzola, Chiara Miotto
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T +39 041 2700370
M +39 3468126483
(lunedì e mercoledì 9.30-12.30)
education@fmcvenezia.it
visitmuve.it/MUVEeducation
facebook.com/MUVEeducation
instagram.com/muveeducation/
Social history
by Cristina Gazzola
With thanks to Veronica Baso, Universal Civil Service volunteer
Pictogram author: Sergio Palao. Origin: ARASAAC (http://www.arasaac.org).
Licence: CC (BY-NC-SA). Owner: Government of Aragon (Spain)