Lower Secondary School

Methodology
Depending on the subject in question and the museum chosen, the focus will either be on the historical, artistic or naturalistic aspect, adopting an approach based on narration, on the study of documentary sources, the experimentation of artistic and compositive techniques, the interpretation of works of art, comparative observation of organisms that belong to different plant and animal groups or similarities and differences in the natural world.
In each case, the educational units in the programme are based on ‘action’ as a cognitive instrument, an active modality of constructing knowledge and all are aimed at the development of creative and divergent thought.

Objectives and skills
Direct knowledge of the grammar of visual language via the concrete experience of the elaboration and re-working of the image to be able to strengthen aesthetic and expressive skills and stimulate the ability of personal and creative production;
Development of critical skills in the interpretation of different iconographic, documentary or cartographic sources, gleaning from them information about historic events of different periods and different geographical areas considered in their relation to the territory;
Acquisition of knowledge regarding certain aspects of the physical world and the biological world, considering their reciprocal relations and their relationship with man with the aim of developing responsible behaviour towards natural resources and help protect the environment.

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DOGE’S PALACE

Active tours

The perfect crime. Find the culprit in the Doge’s Palace
A crime that actually took place in the Doge’s Palace in the middle of the fifteenth century is the leitmotif of an itinerary that winds its way through the most important places in the Palace – from the courtyard, the institutional chambers, the prisons and the Doge’s apartment – trying to discover the countless clues that will shed light on an intricate event that took place when Francesco Foscari was doge.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day
Time: From 8.30 on
Languages: Italian, English, French, Russian

The halls of power
The tour focuses primarily on the state rooms of the Doge’s Palace, where the impressive series of paintings, exciting pictures, magnificent sculptures and ornaments decorate the rooms that were the prestigious offices for the administration of the Serenissima. Through this course, the students will be aided by info cards for the important pieces of artwork. The complex operation of the machinery of government at the time of the Republic will be outlined, also highlighting the iconographic programme promoted by the Venetian ruling class to establish and celebrate the legendary  Venice.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day
Time: From 8.30 on
Languages: Italian, English, French, German, Russian

The Secrets of the Doges and the Republic
What stories were hidden behind the figure of the Venetian Doge? What did he represent? The first part of the tour will focus on the rooms of the ducal apartment where the students will get an in-depth look at the festive representations of the Doge, the symbolic figures that were the backbone of the Serenissima Republic and some of their famous tales. The second part of the journey foresees an analysis of the institutional and decision-making roles of the Republic.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Everyday
Time: From 8:30 on
Languages: Italian, English, French

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CA’ REZZONICO MUSEUM OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY VENICE

Active tours

From Tiepolo to Canaletto. The last great season of Venetian painting
Abounding in original period furniture and furnishings, the amazing, lavish rooms in the Palazzo with their elegant decorations, exquisitely made tapestries and official portraits all describe a Venice that is still affluent and powerful, carefree and pleasure-seeking. However, a more careful look at the works by the most important protagonists of the last great season of Venetian painting, for example Tiepolo, Canaletto, Longhi and the Guardis will reveal another side to Venice: a city that is beginning its lengthy, slippery path towards modern times.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day except Tuesdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, French, Russian

The gown doesn’t make the friar
The itinerary offers a detailed look at Venetian life in the eighteenth century and at its transformed cultural, political and social climate; the instruments used are not only the iconographic study of the rooms and furnishings in the museum but also the paintings – a true iconological source of the fashion of the last century of the Venetian Republic.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day except Tuesdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, French, Russian

Workshops

Tales in pictures. Pietro Longhi’s Venice
As a whole, the twenty-eight canvases depicting everyday life by Pietro Longhi offer a highly accurate visual chronicle of eighteenth century Venice.
After a brief visit to the museum, we shall pause in the Longhi rooms to look more closely at a series of paintings from an aesthetic and formal perspective.
In particular, analysis will concentrate on several figures, objects and settings that will be described in detail, with reference to the historical and social function they played in Venetian life in the eighteenth century. With these elements as the starting point, the participants will take part in a creative, enjoyable activity in which they will create short illustrated tales, using sheets of paper, pencils and coloured pastels. “Stories in images”, of which the painter was a master, is therefore an ideal introduction to illustration and the relationship between narration and pictures.
Duration: 2 and a half hours
When: Every day except Tuesdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, French

The fresco
The educational programme starts by looking at the materials and instruments that are needed to create a fresco: from the preparation of the mortar to the demonstration of the various ways to transfer the drawing to the plaster. The first stage is the creation of a group fresco followed by a personal one. Finally, in the museum they will look at Giandomenico Tiepolo’s frescoes with an ‘expert’ eye.
For: Upper Primary School and Lower Secondary School
Duration: 3 hours
Quando: Monday, Friday, at 9 am
Languages: Italian, French

The portrait
The itinerary in the museum starts with an analysis of half figure portraits; the objective is to identify the constitutive elements of a human face, observing the importance of their proportions in the portrayal and introducing the matter of materials and drawing techniques, such as pastels that are no longer often used, but were very common in the eighteenth century. Attention will then be paid to the psychological aspects of the portrait to aid recognition of the different emotional states of the figures captured by the artist. Interpretation of full-figure portraits will pay particular attention of the function played by clothing and gestures when identifying a character. The practical activities will play on the children’s natural egocentric conception and ask them to reproduce their own image after observing themselves in a mirror. Using the technique of pastel drawings, each child will be encouraged to define their own physiognomical features and to portray their own emotive state when creating their own self-portrait.
For: Upper Primary School and Lower Secondary School
Duration: 3 hours
Quando: Monday, Friday, at 9 am
Languages: Italian, French

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PALAZZO MOCENIGO: STUDY CENTRE OF THE HISTORY OF FABRICS AND COSTUMES

Active tours

An invite to the Palace
What was life like in a Venetian Palace? What were the mannerisms of the rich Venetian society in the 700’s? How were the nobles dressed? The answers to these and many other questions will be found through a game journey that will cover the rooms of the Palace, once inhibited by the distinguished Mocenigo family, and then tuned into to the Centre of Studies of the History of Textiles and Costumes; the students will be accompanied to rooms dedicated to the history of fashion and the section recently dedicated to perfume. Through luxury, elegance and extravagant cosmetics, the relations between Venice and the Oriental sphere will be discovered along with the warps and wefts of the styles that made the 1700’s in Venice unforgettable.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Everyday except Monday
Time: From 10 on
Language: Italian, English, French and Russian

Venice and fashion
Historically, Venice was one of the most important production centres of fabrics: Rediscovering the city in this light is the objective of the first part of the programme and will use the lively emblems of the ancient arts and crafts guilds, positioning them on the map of Venice, to visualize the places that, with the curious names of alleyways, squares and buildings, still evoke the intense activities associated with the production, dying, and sale of fabrics.
But how did they dress in the past? Did they change often? Did they use underwear? These questions will be answered in the second part of the workshop when attention moves to fashion, in particular that of the eighteenth century, and a vast selection of which is on display in the museum rooms with splendid men’s and women’s garments, including children’s clothes and a wide range of accessories that are testimony to the customs and everyday life of that period.
Duration: 2 hours
When: From 4 November 2014 – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English

Workshops

The world on a piece of fabric
A workshop in which the different kinds of fibres used for fabrics, whether natural, manmade or synthetic, can be seen and touched, getting to know where they come from and how they are transformed into our clothes, analyzing the stages that start with the raw material and end with the spun. This is followed by actual weaving with the concrete creation of a braid, first on paper and then on a small manual loom, with a live demonstration of weaving on a shaft loom at the end.
Duration: 2 hours
When: from 4 November 2014 – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English

Dyed and printed
Game – a lesson to get to know the different phases of dying and experiment creatively and actively with printing on fabrics.
The young elementary school participants will be invited to write their own name together with a figure, using letter stencils and images.
Each participant is asked to bring a 100% white cotton T-shirt that they will decorate during the activity.
Duration: 2 hours
When: from 4 November 2014 – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English

On History’s String
The presentation of a short story told by images will introduce students to the evolution of the design of lace that can be seen in the original pieces that come from the abundant archives of the Mocenigo Palace Museum. The students will play a game in which they will actively participate in creating a big lace made by the whole class, in this activity they will learn the tricks and secrets of the making of lace. A short visit to the Museum, focused on the role of lace in the lifestyle of the 1700’s, will conclude the workshop.
Duration: 2 hours
When: From 21st October 2014 – everyday except Monday
Time: From 10 on
Languages: Italian, English Spanish

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THE CARLO GOLDONI HOUSE

Itineraries offered

From the Goldoni house to Ca’ Rezzonico. A walk through eighteenth century Venice
The aim of this programme is to look in closer detail at the cultural and social aspects of Venice in the eighteenth century via the dialogue and comparison of two of the protagonists of that century: Carlo Goldoni and Pietro Longhi, in the two museums that still preserve their memory today, Ca’ Centanni (the Goldoni house) and Ca’ Rezzonico.
The itinerary between the two museums is guided by interactive worksheets that can be downloaded from the website www.visitmuve.it
Duration: 2 and a half hours
When: Every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, French, and Russian

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CA’ PESARO – INTERNATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART

Active tours

The Avant-garde Shock
Realism, Impressionism, Symbolism, Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism, Abstract and Pop Art: what are the avant-gardes? Where do they originate from? What was their impact on the world of art? These questions will be answered through a interdisciplinary reading of the works exhibited, that will outline the concept of avant-garde, connecting the different artistic movements with their respective historical, political and cultural context.
This tour will highlight the tension that animated the figurative arts between the end of the 1800’s and the beginning of the 1900’s and the artistic developments after the second world war.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Everyday except Monday
Time: From 10 on
Languages: Italian, English, French

The Fabulous Lives of Artist
The controversy between Auguste Rodin and Medardo Rosso, the social climate of the Secession of Vienna, Arturo Maritini’s temper, Picasso’s women, the odd quirks of surrealist and the illustrious Andy Warhol….art’s history told by the lives and the vicissitudes of its artist. The artistic tendencies of the 1900’s are presented to the students starting from an analysis of the figure of an artist in his total human complexity with the aim of bringing the young visitors closer to the mythical figures described in art history books.
The relationships between artist, their eccentricities, and their meeting places become starting points for illustrating artistic developments of the 20th century, stimulating the curiosity of the students.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Everyday except Monday
Time: Form 10 on
Languages: Italian, English, French

Colour in twentieth century painting
From the second half of the nineteenth century, painting was characterised by significant formal changes made by artists such as the Impressionists and Macchiaioli who tried to free themselves from the restraints of the Academy. Their brushstrokes became more rapid and at first glance the images seem very imprecise; bright colours are used without any different shades, applied directly from the tube. The ideal place for the itinerary to start is the canvas by the Spanish artist Sorolla, where a group of young girls are sewing a dazzling white canvas immerged in the light and colours of summer; it ends in the second half of the twentieth century with the Italian Alberto Burri who portrays all shades of black on a large abstract canvas made of plastic. An itinerary that goes from white to black, passing the different colours of De Nittis, Previati, Balla, Boccioni, Nolde, Kandinsky, Ernst, Vedova, Santomaso, Morlotti, Afro and many others.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day except Mondays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, French

Sculpted Thought
Sculpture itineraries in Ca’ Pesaro

From ancient times until the end of the nineteenth century, with almost no interruption the function of sculpture was purely monumental and celebratory, as is evident in both the countless isolated sculptures to be found and in those that are part of buildings.
It was at the beginning of the twentieth century that this well-established tradition was then radically interrupted when sculpture underwent a profound change when anti-monumentalism and anti-rhetoric became its primary vocation. This marked the beginning of a ceaseless process of linguistic experimentation, with the use of unusual materials, a change in the relationship between the sculpture and its setting, and between solids and voids, overcoming figuration to such an extent that the canonic distinction between painting and sculpture no longer applied.
The main stages of the development of this transformation in sculpture are documented here with a careful selection of works of high quality: the modern transformation of late nineteenth century sculpture in different ways and forms by Auguste Rodin and Medardo Rosso, the synthesis between Expression and Classicism by Adolfo Wildt, Arturo Martini’s anti-classical figures that are considered symbolic of the twentieth century, the vitalist theme introduced by Jean Arp and revived by Henry Moore’s anthropomorphic forms, Alexander Calder’s aethereal and light ‘mobile’ sculptures, Emilio Vedova’s ‘plurime’ paintings/sculptures, the monolithic bodies by Giovanni Anselmo, an exponent of Arte povera, and the Neo-Pop fetish objects by Jeff Koons.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day except Mondays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, French

Workshops

Silent life. Composition, drawing and paiting
The workshop offers an active approach to the genre of painting that is traditionally known as ‘still life’; precisely because it gives life to everyday items and objects, it offers a particularly valid field of study that is suitable for the exploration of the alchemy of what we see and how it can be portrayed (relationship between the objects, between objects and background, arrangement of the planes. After the first part of the activity, which takes place in the museum, experiments will be carried out in the workshop rooms on two traditional artistic techniques: watercolours and oil painting, with the aim of verifying how the choice of the expressive means produces different results
Duration: 3 hours
When: Thursday, from 10 am
Languages: Italian, French

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GLASS MUSEUM

Active tours

The history of an art
The valuable collections on display, together with the technical section explaining the stages, materials and instruments of the process, describe the adventure of Venetian glass.
A mixture of ingenious forms, models and experiments, the itinerary goes back over the discoveries, inventions and ‘artistic secrets’ that contributed to the success of the famous Murano glass.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, French, Russian

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LACE MUSEUM

 Active tours

On the crest of a wave
The itinerary winds its way down a time line that explains how lace developed in both its form and daily use. At the end of this journey, a large piece of lace will be made using the forms and techniques of the Venice point; at the end of the workshop the class may take this away with them as a memory of their visit to the museum.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Every day except Mondays and Tuesdays
Time: from 10.00 on
Languages: Italian, English, Spanish

Workshops

Small Craftsman Grow
The islands of Murano and Burano are most known for their artisan traditions that have been passed down for centuries. What do the arts of glass and lace have to do with one another? By the construction of small artefacts the kids will understand the ancient crafts, rediscovering the art of creation.
Duration: 2 hours
When: Everyday except for Monday
Time: From 10 on
Languages: Italian, English, Spanish