Peggy Guggenheim Museum

Wander through the large rooms of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum to see a collection of modern art masterpieces. The mansion is the former home of wealthy American heiress Peggy Guggenheim and features her personal art collection. Most of the pieces were amassed during the first half of the 20th century and represent almost every modern art movement, including cubism, futurism, surrealism and avant-garde sculpture.

Although it was conceived as a multi-story mansion, only one story of the 18th-century building was constructed. Nobody knows for sure why it was left unfinished, but some suspect it was due to lack of funds.

As you approach the museum by the Grand Canal, you will see one of Peggy’s most eccentric pieces. This is Marino Marini’s Angel of the City from 1948, a bronze male nude on horseback. Peggy was never afraid of a little controversy and this piece depicts a man visibly excited by the possibilities on the horizon while riding a horse.

Devote at least a couple hours to exploring the permanent and temporary exhibitions. View artworks by Kandinsky, Picasso, Man Ray, Mondrian, Dalí, Max Ernst and Jackson Pollock.

Go to the Nasher Sculpture Garden for works by Moore, Giacometti, Brancusi, Yoko Ono and Anish Kapoor. Look for the memorial plaque which marks the spot where Peggy was buried. The champion of modern art was given an honorary dispensation by the city of Venice to be buried beneath the Giacometti sculptures. Her beloved pets were also interred in the garden.

During your time at the museum, visit its other collections. The Gianni Mattioli Collection features more than 20 masterpieces, including examples of Italian futurism. The Schulhof Collection exhibits post-1945 Italian, European and American art.

The Peggy Guggenheim Museum is located along the Grand Canal between the Accademia Bridge and the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. It is open every day except Tuesdays and Christmas Day. The admission fee is waived for children under the age of 10.