Fondazione Scientifica Querini Stampalia Onlus

About the Foundation

Fondazione Querini Stampalia (FQS) was established in 1869 by Count Giovanni Querini, the last descendant of the Querini Stampalia family.
It is the only institution in Venice that holds the entire heritage of an ancient and noble Venetian family. It has been serving the community and providing access to knowledge, arts, architecture and history for more than 150 years, in particular thanks to the Library, the Museum and cultural events.
Inside this Renaissance palace you can enjoy important works of art by Giovanni Bellini, Antonio Canova, Pietro Longhi, Giambattista Tiepolo and Canaletto, as well as consult modern and ancient books, the family archives, ancient maps, manuscripts, engravings. The library has become a study centre open at weekends and during many holidays to give students and scholars the opportunity to access the collections and to study in the historical reading rooms.The Fondazione is also very active in the field of contemporary art through the project Conserving the future, that hosted contemporary artists such as Joseph Kosuth, Kiki Smith and Jimmie Durham.Finally, the palace itself hosts different architectural layers, where the 16th century building is renovated and reinterpreted through the profound and elegant work of important contemporary architects such as Carlo Scarpa, Mario Botta and Michele De Lucchi.