The 15th century palace Cà Vendramin Caliergi houses the Wagner Museum.
Overlooking the Grand Canal, the museum is today the municipal Casino, but not all the building, in fact the mezzanine floor host the museum to celebrate the great composer Richard Wagner (Lipsia 1813, Venice 1883).
On February 13th, 1995 the Municipality gave this part of the building to the Venice Association Richard Wagner, chaired by Giuseppe Pugliese, to fit out the floor with a museum in eternal memory of the musician and his love for the city.
Driven to stillness need, Wagner chosen Venice as oasis of peace and last abode “Life in the big city has become completely unbearable for me, mainly because of the din of carriages that infuriates me. Now everyone knows that Venice is the calmest city, I mean the quietest city in the world and that is why I have decided it is absolutely the place for me", he wrote in a letter to his father-in-law.
On September 16th, 1882 he came back to Venice and spent his last winter in the city with his family, before passing away, exactly in these rooms on the mezzanine floor of the Palace Vendramin Caliergi, on February 13th, 1883.
This is the reason why the Association thought this was the best place to remember the composer.
The Richard Wagner European Study and Research Centre (C.E.S.R.R.W.) is also based in these rooms of the Palace, a free university open to all the people wanting to deepen or integrate their knowledge of Wagner’s works.
Since 2003 the adjacent rooms have also been added to the museum to house the Josef Lienhart Fundation; a private collection including books, rare documents, posters, scores, signed letters, paintings, records, lithographs and various other heirlooms. The collection is open to all scholars upon request.
The Association promotes courses and seminars to all young aspiring musicians, interpreters, directors, scenographers, musicologists and to the best win a scholarship to attend to the Bayreuther Festspiele.
The Association with the collaboration of Venice Casino and the La Fenice Foundation, also organizes the annual Richard Wagner Honorary Concert, the Bayreuth Scholarship Student Concert, and the Young Concert Musicians cycle during Wagner Days, a festival dedicated to performances of both the Maestro's better and lesser known works and the music of other composers who influenced or were influenced by him.
The Richard Wagner Association organizes guided visits (Tuesday and Saturday morning and Thursday afternoon) to the Museum previous booking within 12.00pm of the day before the booking.
Useful information:
Guided visits are organized by Associazione Richard Wagner di Venezia.
The reservation is needed and it must be done until 12.00 of the the before the visit.
Opening time:
Tuesday and Saturday morning at 10.30
Thursday afternoon at 14.30
Please note that in the month of August the museum will be closed.
Contacts:
Associazione Richard Wagner di Venezia
Address: Cannaregio , 2079 - Palazzo Ca´ Vendramin Calergi, 30121 Venezia
tel. +39.041.27.60.407
cell. +39.338.41.64.174
email: arwv@libero.it
For further information, please check: https://www.casinovenezia.it/it/museo-wagner
How to get there: ferry boat stop "San Marcuola" or "Casinò di Venezia"
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