Venice and the Ottoman Empire

Between 1400 and 1800, Venice—an astonishing city built on hundreds of small islands off the coast of northeast Italy—stood at the crossroads of a vast trade network connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe. To maintain its status as an international emporium, with markets full of spices, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, and other goods, Venice acquired overseas territories to its east and cultivated close ties with the Ottomans, whose empire became the wealthiest and most powerful in the Eastern Mediterranean after their conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and widespread expansion in the sixteenth century.

This ambitious cross-cultural exhibition about the Republic of Venice (697–1797) and the Ottoman Empire (ca. 1299–1922) explores a major chapter in world history. Featuring more than 150 works of art, the exhibition draws from the vast and varied collections of seven Venetian museums.

The exhibition is on view until September 1, 2025 at the Frist Art Museum, 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203.

To learn more, click here.  

For more events, visit the ARC Calendar.