Venice Museum Year 2026: MUVE Programme, New Venues & Major Exhibitions
In brief: The Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE) and its 13 venues have lined up a particularly rich programme for 2026: a new location, MUVEC – Casa delle Contemporaneità in Mestre, the “Grande Correr” project and an expansion of the Murano Glass Museum. Major exhibitions include “Etruscans and Veneti” at the Doge’s Palace, a retrospective of Jenny Saville at Ca’ Pesaro and Erwin Wurm at Palazzo Fortuny. Many venues are combined in the MUVE Museum Pass.
Most of Venice’s great museums share one operator: the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, MUVE for short. It runs the civic museums — from the Doge’s Palace on St Mark’s Square through art and city-history houses to the specialist museums on the islands, 13 venues in all. For 2026 MUVE has announced an exceptionally extensive year: new venues, major building projects and a series of important special exhibitions — a great reason to discover Venice’s museums beyond the usual paths.
Which venues belong to MUVE?
The group covers very different themes — from power and city history through art to craft and nature:
- Power & history: Doge’s Palace and the Museo Correr on St Mark’s Square.
- Art: Ca’ Pesaro (gallery of modern art) and Palazzo Fortuny.
- The Settecento (18th c.): Ca’ Rezzonico, Palazzo Mocenigo and the Casa di Carlo Goldoni.
- Craft & islands: the Glass Museum on Murano and the Lace Museum on Burano.
- Nature & lagoon: the Natural History Museum (Fontego dei Turchi) and the Torcello Museum.
New venues and building projects in 2026
2026 marks a turning point for the civic museums — with three structural changes that significantly expand what’s on offer:
- MUVEC – Casa delle Contemporaneità in Mestre: a new hub for contemporary art and culture on the mainland — easy to reach for travellers arriving via Mestre.
- “Grande Correr”: the step-by-step expansion of the Museo Correr on St Mark’s Square into an enlarged, re-staged city museum.
- Expansion of the Glass Museum on Murano — more exhibition space for centuries of Venetian glass art, a plus for any Murano trip.
The major exhibitions of 2026
| Venue | Exhibition |
|---|---|
| Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) | “Etruscans and Veneti. Waters, cults and sanctuaries” — archaeology of the Etruscans and Veneti |
| Ca’ Pesaro | Major retrospective of the contemporary painter Jenny Saville |
| Museo Fortuny | Survey of the Austrian sculptor Erwin Wurm |
| Museo Correr | “Dialoghi canoviani” — Canova in dialogue with contemporary art (until 22 November) |
Etruscans and Veneti at the Doge’s Palace explores the early cultures of northern Italy — the waters, cults and sanctuaries of the Etruscans and the ancient Veneti, the region’s “ancestors”. A rare chance to look at the lagoon’s history long before Venice itself, and in the city’s most famous palace. At Ca’ Pesaro, the modern-art gallery on the Grand Canal, an extensive retrospective of British painter Jenny Saville takes centre stage. At Palazzo Fortuny, Erwin Wurm shows his often wittily distorted sculptures, while the Museo Correr’s “Dialoghi canoviani” bring Antonio Canova’s work into conversation with contemporary art.
Tickets and passes
For several MUVE venues the MUVE Museum Pass pays off (around €50, reduced about €25, valid 6 months): it covers the Doge’s Palace plus around a dozen other civic museums — cheaper than single tickets once you visit three or more houses. If you only want the St Mark’s Square museums, the combined St Mark’s ticket is the better fit. Which pass suits which trip is shown in our overview of Venice passes; a full list of houses is on our Venice museums page.
Frequently asked questions about the MUVE year 2026
What is MUVE?
MUVE stands for the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, the foundation of Venice’s civic museums with 13 venues — including the Doge’s Palace, Correr, Ca’ Rezzonico, Palazzo Fortuny and the Murano Glass Museum.
What’s new in 2026?
Three big projects: the new MUVEC venue in Mestre, the “Grande Correr” expansion and the enlargement of the Murano Glass Museum — plus several major special exhibitions.
Which exhibitions are especially worth it?
“Etruscans and Veneti” at the Doge’s Palace (archaeology), the Jenny Saville retrospective at Ca’ Pesaro and Erwin Wurm at Palazzo Fortuny — plus the Canova dialogues at the Correr (until 22 November).
Is the MUVE Museum Pass worth it?
From three visited houses, yes. It is valid for 6 months and covers the Doge’s Palace plus around a dozen further museums.