Palazzo Zaguri Opens as New Museum in Venice Near San Marco

On March 29, a new museum space opens in Venice at Campo San Maurizio, steps from Piazza San Marco. The 14th-century Gothic Palazzo Zaguri has undergone a two-year, €5 million restoration managed by Venice Exhibition. The 2,500 sqm venue features large exhibition halls and a 120 sqm Ubik bookstore with 14,000 titles. The inaugural exhibition, 'Venice Secrets: Crime and Justice,' displays original judicial documents, torture instruments, and death tools to illustrate the Serenissima's severe justice system. Mauro Rigoni, head of Palazzo Zaguri, stated the company had long sought a suitable Venice space. The bookstore, directed by Alessandro Tridello and conceived with curator Davide Busato, will offer titles related to current exhibitions and host events. The palace's history includes the Pasquilini family (c. 1350), subsequent owners, and the Zaguri family until 1810. Giacomo Casanova was a friend of Pietro Antonio Zaguri. After serving as municipal offices in 1983, the building fell into disrepair. Auctioned in 2006 by the City of Venice, it was bought by La Gare spa for €10.63 million, then sold to a Verona trust fund for €15 million, which now owns it.