Chiesa di San Barnaba

Leonardo da Vinci Exibition

Former Catholic church, now an exhibition space showcasing Leonardo da Vinci’s ingenious inventions.

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Sestiere Dorsoduro

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Ca' Rezzonico (2-min walk)

Waterbus Guide

www.leonardoavenezia.com

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Standard admission is €9.

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What makes it special

Ancient roots

Built in the 800s and rebuilt in the late 18th century, this church flaunts a bold Greek temple facade that commands attention.

For Indy fans

Recognize this? Indiana Jones fans will be delighted to recognize the church facade from the third film, where it was cleverly used to depict a fictional library.

Lonardo's Contraptions

The interactive contraptions are entirely handcrafted, with special attention given to the finishing and the use of period materials such as wood, cotton, brass, iron, and rope.

San Barnaba : Most of the mechanical contraptions are designed to be interactive

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Your experience here

Be inspired by Leonardo's sophisticated genius.
Get hands-on with meticulously handcrafted contraptions.
Find yourself involuntarily searching for Indiana Jones in front of the church’s iconic facade.

Open Gallery to get the feel

Book tickets online

Secure your spot and dodge the queues by booking your skip-the-line tickets today.

Which Leonardo museum to visit?

Venice has two museums dedicated to Da Vinci — the other is Da Vinci Interactive Museum.

Ideally, visit both collections! They complement each other in both content and style, making them the perfect pair for anyone wanting the full Da Vinci experience.

Okay, so it has to be just one, you say?

Both are highly interactive and cost the same to enter.

Go for this one if you’re intrigued by a museum housed in a former church and drawn to a more informal setup — an open space packed with a huge number of contraptions.

Choose Da Vinci Interactive Museum instead if you prefer a more structured museum experience — complete with digitized paintings, and overall a more modern setup.

Da Vinci Interactive Museum : Examine a digitized high-resolution reproduction of 'Annunciation', considered Leonardo's earliest complete major work

Explore Da Vinci Interactive Museum

Connect the dots

In the 18th century, cheap rents around the church drew in once-wealthy nobles who had fallen on hard times — they became known as the Barnabotti.

You may already be familiar with the Nicolotti and Arsenalotti (Castellani) — their legendary fistfights once rocked the nearby Ponte dei Pugni, which you can still visit today.