Correr

Everyone knows St. Mark's Square. But few realize what they're practically running past without a clue: the Museo Correr in the Napoleonic wing of the Procuratie, practically a stone's throw from St. Mark's Basilica (if you have a good arm).

It is the premier destination for anyone wishing to learn about Venice, its culture, and its history. On the first floor, several early works by Antonio Canova, Italy's most significant Neoclassical sculptor, are on display.

From there, the journey into Venice's past begins through various exhibits (documents, portraits, depictions of festivals, garments, coins, weapons, etc.).

Particularly impressive is the Quadreria - the painting gallery - on the second floor, which illustrates the development of Venetian painting from the 13th to the 16th century in chronological order. The paintings of great Italian Renaissance masters hang here, among the most famous of which are Carpaccio's "Portrait of a Young Man with a Red Hat" and "Two Venetian Ladies."