Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia opens new multimedia space

On July 10, 2025, the Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia inaugurated its new Spazio Multimediale, an interactive area that allows visitors to explore the results of research conducted in the museum's scientific and restoration laboratories. The space features high-definition digital reproductions of masterpieces, including Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, viewable via a 3D digital microscope. The multimedia room also displays delicate works that cannot be exhibited for conservation reasons, such as Rosalba Carriera's pastel Ritratto di bambina con ciambella, which is kept in a climate-controlled vault. Digital imaging reveals minute details, including tears and losses. Analyses of Leonardo's drawing showed a groove along the figure's contour, likely made to create a cast, which weakened the paper. Another featured work is Giovanni Bellini's Allegory of Prudence or Vanity, currently on view in the exhibition Corpi moderni (curated by Guido Beltramini, Francesca Borgo, and Giulio Manieri Elia, until July 27). The space was coordinated by Maria Antonietta De Vivo (architectural curator) and Stefano Volpin (scientific director). Giulio Manieri Elia, director of the museum, stated that the interactive space serves as a window into the scientific laboratory and restoration activities, supported by Venice International Foundation, Venice In Peril, Associazione Best Talent, and Banco Energia società benefit.