The Querini Stampalia Foundation is featuring the exhibition 'Ships, boatyards and ferries of Jacopo de'Barbari', bringing back to life the times when the Serenissima Republic was the 'Quees of the Sea'.

The exhibition leads us into the bustling activities of ancient shipyards where boats suited to navigation in the Lagoon were built: gondolas, sandali, burci. Sea vessels, on the other hand, were built in the Arsinal of Venice, depicted in one of the most famous landscape paintings depicting Venice, the bird's eye view of Venice by Jacopo de' Barbari. This view of Venice is one of the most spectacular achievements of Renaissance printmaking. It was printed from six large woodblocks on six sheets of paper which were then joined together to cover an area of nearly four square metres. The print was based on careful surveys of the streets and buildings of Venice, almost every one of which can be seen clearly.

Details from this famous view will be projected on the walls completing the scenario described in the rich exhibition: on display a selection of restored works from the 'Arsenale di Venezia e Marina', a collection of 140 among watercolors, sketches, etchings, engravings.