Venice offers cool art venues amid sweltering heatwave

During the Biennale period, Venice is experiencing an intense heatwave that turns the city into an “open‑air oven.” Visitors are advised to seek out quieter, off‑the‑beaten‑path spots such as hidden terraces, independent book‑cafés and lesser‑known galleries to avoid the crowds while still enjoying the city’s cultural richness.

Several major museums and exhibition spaces provide climate‑controlled environments that offer relief from the heat. Notably, Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana (home of the Pinault Collection), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and the Gallerie dell’Accademia all maintain strict temperature and humidity levels for art preservation, making them comfortable refuges for tourists. These venues also host prominent contemporary exhibitions featuring artists such as Lorna Simpson, Paulo Nazareth, Michael Armitage, Amar Kanwar and a Marina Abramović show.

By combining cooler indoor venues with quieter outdoor locations, visitors can continue to explore Venice’s artistic offerings despite the extreme summer temperatures.