Four Seasons at Palazzo Zaguri
A baroque ensemble plays Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other pieces in a Venetian palace on Campo San Maurizio. The same ticket opens the Museo della Musica next door on the day of the concert.
Is this concert worth it?
Is the Four Seasons concert worth booking?
The short answer. Worth booking for anyone who wants the Four Seasons live, in the city where Vivaldi was born, from an ensemble that has played together in Venice since 1987. It is a seated concert in a palace on Campo San Maurizio, and the Museo della Musica in the church beside it is open to you the same day. Reviewers praise the musicians and the sound. Some mention noisy chairs.
What it is
A chamber concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other pieces, played by Interpreti Veneziani at Palazzo Zaguri. The ticket also covers a visit to the Museo della Musica, a collection of historic string instruments made over some 300 years, kept in the former church of San Maurizio.
What it isn’t
It is not a staged show, a full orchestra or an opera. It is not the concert hall of La Fenice, which is a separate building with its own tickets. The programme can change, so no ticket promises a fixed running order.
How to choose
Pick this concert for the Four Seasons and a close look at the instruments that made baroque Venice sound the way it did. Pick La Fenice to see a great opera house. Pick a walking tour for the lanes and squares. The comparison guide sets the first two side by side.
At a glance
- Where
- Palazzo Zaguri, Campo San Maurizio, between the Accademia and Piazza San Marco.
- On stage
- Interpreti Veneziani, a Venetian baroque ensemble that has played together since 1987.
- The music
- Vivaldi's Four Seasons, with other pieces.
- Same ticket
- The Museo della Musica in the church of San Maurizio, on the day of the concert.
On the programme
The Four Seasons, concerto by concerto
Each of Vivaldi’s four seasons is a violin concerto in three movements, matched to a sonnet that says what the music is showing. Wikipedia places them first in a set of twelve concertos printed in Amsterdam in 1725. Here is what each one depicts.
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Spring
The opening Allegro has birds welcoming the season, murmuring streams, and storms that announce spring before the birdsong resumes. A goatherd dozes in a meadow in the Largo, his loyal dog barking in the violas. The closing dance sets nymphs and shepherds stepping to bagpipes.
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Summer
Man and flock languish in the heat while birds sing and a north wind sweeps away the breezes. The shepherd cannot rest, fearing lightning, thunder and swarms of insects. Then the Presto breaks: a violent storm with hail destroys the wheat. This is the movement the bows attack hardest.
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Autumn
The harvest is celebrated with dance and song, and many a celebrant drinks until sleep takes him. The Adagio molto lets the drunkards sleep it off. At dawn in the finale the hunters ride out with horns, guns and hounds, and the wounded quarry flees and dies.
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Winter
Snow and ice make people shiver, stamp and chatter their teeth. The Largo gives quiet, contented days beside the fire with rain falling outside. In the finale they step carefully over ice, slip, and hurry on as it cracks, while winds blow through the house.
The programme can change, and the ticket does not promise a running order or that every concerto is played in full. Read these four as a listening guide to the work, not as a set list for the night.
The visit, in order
From the Campo to the last chord
Start times sit beside each date in the calendar.
- 1 Arrive
Find Campo San Maurizio
The palace closes the east side of the square, and the museum is in the church with the neoclassical façade on the same Campo. The museum has its own address, number 2603; the concert’s is 2668.
- 2 Browse
Walk through the museum
The church holds violins, violas, cellos, double basses, lutes, mandolins and more. The ticket lets you in on the day of the concert, before or after the music.
- 3 Settle
Take your seat
Luggage and large bags stay outside, and so do food and drinks. Reviewers describe the chairs as creaky and a little hard, so settle once and stay put.
- 4 Listen
The music begins
The ensemble plays Vivaldi’s Four Seasons alongside other pieces. Flash photography is not allowed.
- 5 Leave
Walk out onto the Campo
From here the Accademia end of the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco both lie within reach on foot.
Three ways to spend a music day in Venice
Three ways to spend a music day in Venice
| Choice | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Four Seasons concert, Palazzo Zaguri | A live baroque ensemble playing Vivaldi, plus a visit to the Museo della Musica on the same day. | Anyone who wants Vivaldi live and an hour with historic instruments. |
| La Fenice, self-guided visit | The opera house seen by day, with an audio guide in seven languages. The ticket carries no performance and cannot be refunded. | Anyone drawn to Venice’s opera house as a building and its history. |
| A performance at La Fenice | A full evening in the 18th-century house itself. The theatre sells its own tickets and publishes its own programme. | Opera and concert lovers who plan well ahead. |
- The concert
- A live concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other pieces by the baroque ensemble Interpreti Veneziani, at Palazzo Zaguri, Campo San Maurizio 2668.
- The museum
- A visit to the Museo della Musica, in the church of San Maurizio, on the day of the concert. The museum keeps its own opening hours, which are not the concert’s, so check them for your date.
- Validity
- Good for the single date you book. Pick the start time that suits you in the calendar.
- Not allowed
- No large bags or luggage, no food or drink, no flash, no audio recording, no smoking, no pets (assistance dogs are welcome) and no touching the exhibits. Minors may not come alone.
- Access
- Step-free access is marked for this concert on the booking page.
- Seating
- Some reviewers find the chairs noisy and uncomfortable. The ensemble plays on regardless, but plan to sit still.
What the ticket holds
What one ticket buys
Six details worth knowing before you choose a date.
On and around the Campo
The Campo, the museum and a neighbouring opera house
The neoclassical church of San Maurizio on its square, the church’s high altar, double basses in the museum, the wooden bridge at the Accademia, the opera house La Fenice seen from the stage and a luthier’s bench in the museum.
More ways to spend the day
The Four Seasons concert, and three more Venice bookings
Four options sit side by side: the Four Seasons concert this site is about, a visit to the opera house La Fenice, a guided walk through the centre of Venice and a 17th and 18th-century dress-up session.
La Fenice, the opera house
A self-guided visit to the opera house with an audio guide in seven languages. Bring ID to collect the audio guide, and check the theatre’s own schedule before you pick a date. The ticket is non-refundable.
A walk through the old centre
A guided walk through Piazza San Marco, the Rialto area and the lanes between, with a live guide. Some options add a gondola ride, so read the option you book.
A 17th and 18th-century dress-up
A one-hour session in a studio in baroque dress, with masks, hats and a studio portrait. Up to four people at a time.
More to book in Venice
Planning the visit
Practical points
Where it is
Palazzo Zaguri, Campo San Maurizio 2668, 30124 Venice, in San Marco. Save it in a map app first, because the lanes hide the Campo.
Getting there
The Campo lies between the Accademia end of the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco. The Accademia vaporetto stop stands near the wooden bridge, and the Rialto Bridge is about ten minutes away on foot.
The museum
It is in the church, not in the palace, and has its own street number. One visitor never found it before it closed, so look for the church façade as soon as you arrive.
Start time
Every date comes with a start time, which your confirmation email repeats. Leave time for the museum, which runs to its own hours.
What to bring
Leave large bags at your lodging, because they are not allowed in. Carry a phone for the ticket and keep it quiet; flash photography and audio recording are not allowed.
If plans change
Cancellations a day or more ahead are refunded in full, and paying later is an option.
Guides
Six guides to Vivaldi’s Venice
- Start here
Four Seasons concert, Venice
Is the Interpreti Veneziani Four Seasons concert in Venice worth it, and what is the music museum on the same ticket? Every fact is sourced. Read the guide → - Compare
Vivaldi concert or La Fenice
A Vivaldi concert or La Fenice: which is better for music lovers in Venice? What each gives you, what each costs in flexibility, and how to combine them. Read the guide → - The music
The Four Seasons explained
What each of Vivaldi’s four seasons depicts, movement by movement, taken from the sonnets that were printed with the music in 1725. Read the guide → - The composer
Vivaldi in Venice
Where Antonio Vivaldi was born, taught and worked in Venice, and why a Venetian ensemble playing his music in the city still matters. Read the guide → - The museum
Museo della Musica, Venice
What the Museo della Musica holds in the former church of San Maurizio, who made its violins, double basses and lutes, and how to find it. Read the guide → - Practical
Getting to Campo San Maurizio
How to find Palazzo Zaguri and the Museo della Musica on Campo San Maurizio in San Marco, by water or on foot, and what to know at the door. Read the guide →
FAQ
Nine quick answers before you book
What is the Interpreti Veneziani Four Seasons concert?
A chamber concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other pieces by a Venetian baroque ensemble, held at Palazzo Zaguri on Campo San Maurizio. The same ticket gives a visit to the Museo della Musica on the day of the concert.
Is it worth it?
For listeners who want the Four Seasons played live in Vivaldi’s home city, yes. Reviewers praise the musicians and the sound. It is a seated chamber concert, not a staged show, and some find the chairs noisy.
What is the Museo della Musica?
A museum of historic string instruments in the former church of San Maurizio, on the same square as the palace. The ticket includes a visit on the day of the concert. Its collection spans about 300 years of Italian violin making.
How long is the concert?
No length is given on the booking page, only a start time for each date. The Four Seasons alone take about 40 minutes by Wikipedia’s count, and other pieces come on top.
Which pieces will be played?
The Four Seasons, with other pieces. The programme can change, so no ticket promises a running order.
What can’t I bring in?
Luggage and large bags, food and drink, and pets (assistance dogs are welcome) stay out. The museum’s exhibits are look-only, and flash, audio recording and smoking are banned.
Is the concert wheelchair accessible?
Step-free access is marked for it on the booking page. Check the details there before you choose a date if your needs are specific.
Is this the opera house La Fenice?
No. La Fenice is a separate opera house with its own tickets. A comparison guide on this site sets the concert beside a visit to it.
Is this site the organiser’s website?
No. This guide stands apart from the concert’s organiser, its players, the palace and the museum, and GetYourGuide, not this site, handles every ticket.
Vivaldi's Four Seasons played live by a Venetian baroque ensemble, with a music museum in the church next door.
Book the Four Seasons concert ↗The live price appears once you choose a date, in the currency you pick.