Fondazione Querini Stampalia

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia is a cultural institution in Venice, Italy, situated in the Palazzo Querini Stampalia in the sestiere Castello, just south of the Church of Santa Maria Formosa. Founded in 1869 through the bequest of Conte Giovanni Querini, the last descendant of the Venetian Querini Stampalia family, the foundation was established to promote what its founder called "the cult of good studies and useful disciplines." It operates today as a public resource combining a library, museum, and exhibition spaces, with a particular commitment to remaining accessible during hours when other Venetian institutions are closed.

The foundation was created in 1869 following the death of Giovanni Querini Stampalia, who died without direct heirs and left his entire estate to establish an institution dedicated to scholarly and cultural advancement. His will of 11 December 1868 explicitly directed that the library remain open at times when other public libraries were closed, especially in the evenings, for the convenience of scholars. This directive continues to define the institution's accessibility policy. The foundation's mission has remained consistent since its founding: to preserve the patrimony of the noble Venetian family and to serve the public through cultural and educational programs. In November 2019, during the catastrophic Acqua Granda flooding, part of the foundation's book patrimony was submerged, marking a significant moment in its recent history. Marino Cortese served as the foundation's last president from 2004 to 2020.

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia maintains holdings across several domains: a library of approximately 350,000 volumes, an archive, and a museum of paintings and furnishings known as the Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia. The art collection is particularly strong in Venetian Baroque and Rococo painting, with significant works spanning from the Renaissance through the modern period. The museum also incorporates twentieth-century art, reflecting a deliberate effort to represent Venice's continuing artistic tradition. The bibliographic collection divides between historical funds derived from the family collections and modern acquisitions that have continued to grow since the foundation's establishment.

The Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia holds masterpieces of Venetian Baroque and Rococo, including Giovanni Bellini's Presentation at the Temple. The collection features works by Pietro Longhi, whose series on the Seven Sacraments is especially prized, as well as paintings by Giandomenico Tiepolo, Giulio Carpioni, Federico Cervelli, Matteo Ghidoni, Pietro and Alessandro Longhi, Pietro Muttoni (also called della Vecchia), and Marco and Sebastiano Ricci. The museum's strengths include arcadian landscapes and genre scenes. Modern holdings include works from the donation of post-impressionist Venetian artist Eugenio Da Venezia, who also provided funds to build a collection of twentieth-century art representing Venice. The library preserves a collection of books and papers donated by the Venetian poet Mario Stefani.

The foundation occupies the Palazzo Querini Stampalia, a sixteenth-century palace in Venice's Castello district. Between 1961 and 1963, architect Carlo Scarpa designed interior, exterior, and garden elements on the ground floor, creating one of his significant interventions in Venetian historic fabric. Subsequent work by architects Valeriano Pastor and Mario Botta has given the interiors their present appearance. The library occupies the first floor of the palace, with a total surface area of 1,650 square metres: 950 square metres for public areas, 700 square metres for book storage, and 385 square metres for ground-floor reception services. The reading rooms contain 180 reading places, with additional stations for catalogue consultation and internet access.

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia is open to the public for academic research and general visitation. Its Biblioteca della Fondazione Querini Stampalia is distinguished as the only library in Venice open on Sundays, operating from 10 AM to 7 PM, and is widely considered one of the most beautiful public libraries in the city. In keeping with Giovanni Querini's testamentary wishes, the library also maintains evening hours and remains open on most holidays when other institutions are closed. The reading rooms are organised on open shelves according to the Dewey Decimal Classification, with 32,000 volumes immediately available, while the periodicals room offers 300 journals and 20 national and international newspaper titles. The foundation also provides WiFi, photocopying services, and thematic display cases with reading suggestions.