The Querini Stampalia Foundation is among the oldest Italian cultural institutions. Since 1869 we have promoted “the cult of good studies and useful disciplines”, with a curious gaze and a passion for the future.

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Querini Stampalia Foundation

Since 1869 we have promoted “the cult of good studies and useful disciplines”, with a curious gaze and a passion for the future.

John Baldessari

• No Stone Unturned – Conceptual Photography

— Third Floor

With the exhibition No Stone Unturned – Conceptual Photography by John Baldessari, Fondazione Querini Stampalia opens a new chapter under the direction of Cristiana Collu. A vital and exemplary show marking a new season for the institution.
• Lions on field

• Lions on field

Two lions and two lionesses in bronze inhabit Campo Santa Maria Formosa and Campiello Querini. Echoing Venice’s symbol, they amplify its meaning. In the campo—a physical and theatrical space—they become silent presences that watch, wait, and shift the city’s rhythm.

— Campo e Campiello

• Q Spot. Seat, read, think, repeat

The identity of Fondazione Querini Stampalia and its logo become space, form, meeting point, and node of relationships.
A functional device that generates behaviours and activates a temporary, transitory community: sit, read, think, share.

— Campo, Libreria Giovanni e Cafè Mariona

  • Architecture
  • Collection
  • Library
  • Library Giovanni
  • Auditorium

• Carlo Scarpa Area

Carlo Scarpa’s restoration turned structural necessity into visual poetry: controlled water, sculptural gardens, concrete, and Istrian stone engage with Venice’s aquatic nature, where high tide becomes performance and space invites quiet reflection.
• Carlo Scarpa Area

Visit

  • Architecture
  • Collection
  • Library
  • Library Giovanni
  • Auditorium

• Carlo Scarpa Area

• Carlo Scarpa Area
Carlo Scarpa’s restoration turned structural necessity into visual poetry: controlled water, sculptural gardens, concrete, and Istrian stone engage with Venice’s aquatic nature, where high tide becomes performance and space invites quiet reflection.

• Collection

• Collection
Once the residence of the Querini Stampalia family, it is now one of the most evocative house museums in Europe. It offers a glimpse into daily life in a Venetian palace between the 18th and 19th centuries, through original furnishings, art collections, and historic frescoes.

• Library

• Library
The Library holds around 400,000 volumes, both ancient and modern, and has been known for over 150 years as the library of the Venetians. Open also on public holidays, it was established by Count Giovanni Querini, who made it public through the wishes expressed in his will.

• Library Giovanni

• Library Giovanni
Dedicated to Giovanni Querini, the bookshop is a meeting point between museum store and independent bookstore. It offers catalogues, objects, and a carefully curated, accessible selection. A space where books inspire reflection and a deeper understanding of the present.

• Auditorium

• Auditorium
Designed by Mario Botta, it is located on the ground floor of the Foundation. With 132 seats, it is among the largest in central Venice. It hosts conferences, concerts, and presentations, and can be connected to adjacent rooms. A space conceived for public and cultural exchange.
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• A Wonder Poster

Eight urban posters, essential phrases in Venetian with an international breath, announce a transformation with strength and irony. A visually rigorous campaign: white background, new institutional typeface, and the symbolic date of May 5, 2025. The words evoke turning points, solidity, beauty, awareness, and movement. A diffused narrative that crosses alleys and canals, turning public space into a living signal of a new beginning.
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• Fondazione Querini Stampalia
A Wonder Booster

We embrace the use of metaphors and puns, humour and invention, and we find inspiration in a pioneer who exemplifies daring and vision. Our practice of ‘reworlding’ and fostering wonder is guided by certain keywords: roots, archipelago, labyrinth, and foundation. To become truly familiar with these terms, it is essential to challenge conventional perspectives and get to the heart of the archetypes in the only way possible – swimming against the tide, with courage and a degree of risk-taking.
— Cristiana Collu
(Director of Fondazione Querini Stampalia)
Cristiana Collu Area Scarpa

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• Wonder Booster / Wonder Refill

We step into the scene with Davide Rivalta’s powerful lions—heraldic and familiar, guardians and companions. We pause on the threshold, where Martí Guixé transforms the Fondazione’s logo into a piece of social seating, placed between the café and the Libreria Giovanni. On the first floor, the Count’s library beats at the heart of his passions; on the second, his private residence opens up. The spaces redesigned by Scarpa, Pastor, Botta, and De Lucchi converse across time—communicating vessels, layered in meaning. On the third floor, John Baldessari’s exhibition unfolds as a conceptual landscape, leaving nothing to chance.

(05.05.25 – 23.11.25)
Tickets

Bookshop

Until Sunday, April 27, access to the Foundation will only be possible via the Carlo Scarpa Bridge, in Campiello Querini. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Service communication

On Friday 1 November 2024, the Library’s distribution service for books and periodicals will not operate from 12 noon to 3.30 p.m.