Arsenale di Venezia

The Arsenale’s brick towers, lion-guarded gates and vast vaulted halls bring alive the city’s naval past. Walking along the canal, you move between working boats, beautiful sculptures, and the monumental Porta Magna. During the Biennale, these industrial spaces become immersive exhibition halls where the architecture shapes the art. Compared to Giardini’s wide park of national pavilions, Arsenale offers a single, continuous narrative through historic spaces. Both are essential, but the Arsenale leaves a distinct imprint through scale, rhythm and atmosphere.

The great icon of Venice, not a football club, but the great storehouse of the Venetian trading empire, and where fleets could be whipped up from scratch in a matter of weeks. The walls are of course extensive, however the front gate is iconic, and had been depicted many times in art. I especially love the Lion carvings. Possibly one of the most beautiful locations in Venice.

Amazing space, I came here for Biennale exhibition. I managed to see everything (including garden pavilions) in one day (10:00-18:00) but at the end I had to run from one pavilion to another without reading anything. 😔 Great exhibition and lots of interesting book in the bookshop.

Our visit centered around two parts of the larger complex: 1) the museum with several boats, some machinery, and a large chunk of a steam ship, and 2) the Enrico Dandolo submarine. We got in on the submarine tour as part of a combined ticket purchased at the naval museum (separate location about 200 meters south of the Arsenale). Well worth the overall price to see both. OK, so, the Arsenale. Quite special to be part of a tour within an active military compound. At the time of visit, there was not a large amount of activity, but definitely things going on. The ships/boats on display in the museum part were interesting, and the audio guide gave some good context and info about their history. Particularly the pieces of Marconi's research vessel are cool to see. Then the submarine tour: great! Incredibly tight space, with all sorts of old gizmos and tech from the cold war era. The guide was knowledgeable, and we also had the fortune to be joined by an ex submariner that had served on a similar vessel at a similar time, so that definitely heightened our experience. But I'm sure it would have been cool also without the old guy's comments.

Nice and good place to see. Old building and wide carnal is good. Bridge and gate is good for picture

A quiet place with a good restaurant and bar with a great view of the towers to the entrance to the arsenal. A place from where it is great to start visiting Castello ...... This is a place for the next visit.

Amazing place. Finally managed to see in person the “wonder” I played so much when I was young in Civ VI and V, and I wasn’t disappointed ahahhaha

The arsenale was the heart of the Venetian naval industry, where warships and merchant vessels were built, repaired, and outfitted. It was the largest industrial complex in Europe before the Industrial Revolution, employing thousands of specialized workers known as Arsenalotti. Its origins date back to around 1104, and it underwent more than eight major expansions between the 14th and 16th centuries. By the 15th century, it had the capacity to construct up to six warships per month—an extraordinary feat for its time. As the military and economic backbone of the Venetian Republic, the Arsenale was so vital that, by 1509, it was called the heart of the Venetian state. Today, parts of the North Arsenale are open to the public, while the South Arsenale serves as a major exhibition venue for the Venice Biennale. The site also includes the Museo Storico Navale (Naval History Museum).

At its peak, the Arsenal in Venice was 110 acres, about 16 percent of the island, employed 16,000 people and produced about a ship a day. The Arsenal towers are modeled after the Arch of Sergii in Pula, Croatia. It's still a state owned facility so only government and military personnel are allowed. Worth a look but not much to do.

I'll give this place a decent rating, even if there is pretty much nothing left of it, and nothing to actually tell you what went on here. Then again, the contents of the Arsenale were a pretty big secret and maybe much of it actually died with the empire. Still, it is nice to wander around, and there are even a couple of coffee shops as well (though they are more a part of the modern art museum). It is a shame though that they had done little to capture the history of the place.

When we reached Venice, the Arsenale was the first place we wanted to see. It is way towards the end of the main street walkway. Just keep on walking and you will find it. We loved it because there wasn't a crowd anywhere in sight. It was nice, quiet and peaceful. The little water canal was beautiful as well as the sculptures and buildings in this area. There is a mini park like area on the side of the restaurant. There were benches under shaded trees to relax. The view from the bridge is beautiful and there are several spots that make for excellent photo taking. TIP: Cross over the bridge towards the restaurant. Head left towards the park and benches. There, in the corner, you will find a drinking fountain.