In 2026, the Venice International Foundation is supporting the project to structurally renovate, restore and modernise the Sala Papadopoli on the first floor of the Correr Museum, overlooking St Mark’s Square. This is the Foundation’s main initiative for the current year, an ambitious project that forms part of the museum’s wider plan for museographic refurbishment, aimed at improving the quality of the exhibition spaces and the visitor experience.
The Papadopoli Room is historically dedicated to the prestigious numismatic collection of the Venetian count Nicolò Papadopoli Aldobrandini, an eminent scholar and enlightened collector, who, upon his death exactly a century ago, chose to bequeath his extraordinary collection of coins to his beloved city and to the Correr Museum, with the wish that it be published and exhibited for the benefit of the community. Zecchini, oselle, bagattini, lire and giustine thus tell the story not only of one man’s passion, but also of a fundamental part of Venice’s history.
The collection, comprising 17,367 coins and considered the second most valuable in Italy after that of Vittorio Emanuele III, has long been kept in the wall safes that still stand in the room today. Once the restoration is complete, the Papadopoli Room will resume its role as a link between the exhibition dedicated to Venetian civilisation and the Royal Rooms, becoming a key hub in the museum’s new visitor route. At the same time, the space will once again house the Papadopoli numismatic collection, which will be showcased through themed exhibitions and the rotation of its various sections, restoring full prominence to a collection of the highest historical and cultural significance and making it more accessible and enjoyable for the public.
The planned works include the restoration of the historic surfaces, the refurbishment of the original floors and window frames, the restoration of the wooden display cases designed by Carlo Scarpa, and the installation of new lighting, air-conditioning and security systems, as well as museum display equipment. A project that combines conservation, memory and the future, to restore to the city and its visitors a place of extraordinary value, capable of telling the story of Venice through one of its most precious collections.
Fondamenta Rezzonico
Dorsoduro 3144
30123 Venezia (VE)
T. +39 376 087 5651
info@venicefoundation.org