Where are the most important Titian paintings in Venice?

The Basilica dei Frari holds the Assunta (1516–1518) over the high altar and the Pesaro Madonna (1519–1526) on the left nave. The Gallerie dell'Accademia displays the Pietà (ca. 1576), Titian's last painting. The Palazzo Ducale houses a large votive painting in the Sala del Collegio: Jacopo Pesaro Presented to St. Peter (Votive Picture of Jacopo Pesaro).

Do I need to book the Galleria degli Uffizi to see Titian's Venus of Urbino?

Yes. The Uffizi requires timed entry tickets. Book at least 3–5 days ahead in spring and summer, or 1–2 weeks for weekend slots. The Venus of Urbino (1538) is displayed in the Titian room on the second floor, alongside the Flora and other Venetian works.

Which Titian paintings are in the Museo del Prado?

The Prado holds the largest concentration of Titian's works outside Italy, over 40 paintings. Key works include the Emperor Charles V on Horseback at Mühlberg (1548), Danaë and the Shower of Gold (1553), Venus with an Organist (ca. 1555), The Worship of Venus (1518–1519), the Bacchanal of the Andrians (1523–1526), and the late Self-Portrait (ca. 1567). Most hang in rooms 24–29 and 41–44 on the first floor.

How many days do I need to see Titian's art in Venice?

Two full days are recommended. Day one: Basilica dei Frari (Assunta, Pesaro Madonna), nearby San Rocco, and Gallerie dell'Accademia (Pietà, Presentation of the Virgin). Day two: Palazzo Ducale, Santa Maria della Salute (ceiling paintings and St. Mark Enthroned with Saints), and San Salvador (Annunciation, Transfiguration).

Can I see Titian's poesie cycle in one museum?

Not permanently. The six poesie painted for Philip II are split across collections: Danaë and Venus and Adonis at the Prado, Diana and Actaeon and Diana and Callisto at the National Gallery of Scotland (Edinburgh) and the National Gallery London (shared ownership), Perseus and Andromeda at the Wallace Collection in London, and The Rape of Europa at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

Artist page

Where to see Titian's paintings

Titian (Tiziano Vecellio, ca. 1488/90 – 1576) left major works in Venice, Florence, Madrid, London, Vienna, Rome and Naples. This page maps altarpieces still in their original churches, mythological cycles split across royal collections, portraits made for the Habsburg court, and the radical late paintings that influenced centuries of European art.

Use the interactive map to locate specific works, then follow the museum blocks below for practical details: which rooms, what to book, and how to plan a Titian-focused itinerary.

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Titian, Assunta (Assumption of the Virgin), Basilica dei Frari, Venice

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How to approach Titian geographically

Titian's career spanned roughly sixty years, and his works are distributed across three main axes: Venice and the Veneto (altarpieces, civic paintings, and works still in situ), the Habsburg collections (now mostly in Madrid and Vienna), and the broader network of European museums that acquired his paintings from the 17th century onward.

Venice first: the Basilica dei Frari (Assunta, Pesaro Madonna), Gallerie dell'Accademia (Pietà, Presentation of the Virgin), Palazzo Ducale, Santa Maria della Salute, and San Salvador.
Madrid second: the Prado holds over 40 Titian paintings, the largest single collection, including the Charles V equestrian portrait, the mythologies, and late devotional works.
Then Vienna, Florence, London, Rome and Naples: each holds at least three to six essential works that reward a dedicated visit.

Where to see Titian: key museums and churches

ⓘ Opening hours and admission prices listed on this page are indicative and subject to change. Always verify current information on the official website of each venue before your visit.

Basilica dei Frari, Venice

Assunta (1516 – 1518), Pesaro Madonna (1519 – 1526) – no advance booking required

The Assunta (Assumption of the Virgin) dominates the high altar, a painting that redefined Venetian altarpiece scale when it was unveiled in 1518. The composition rises in three tiers: the apostles below, Mary ascending, and God the Father above. Across the left nave, the Pesaro Madonna (in the Pesaro family chapel) introduced a radically asymmetric altarpiece format. Both paintings remain in their original positions. The Frari is open Mon – Sat 9:00 – 18:00, Sun 13:00 – 18:00. Arrive before 10:00 to see the Assunta with morning light from the apse windows.

Basilica dei Frari official site

Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice

Pietà (ca. 1576), Presentation of the Virgin (1534 – 1539) – book 2 – 3 days ahead in high season

The Pietà, Titian's final painting (completed after his death by Palma il Giovane), hangs in a dedicated room. It is one of the most radical works in Western art: the forms dissolve into rough, layered brushwork. The Presentation of the Virgin is displayed in the large room originally built for it (the former Sala dell'Albergo of the Scuola della Carità). Allow 1.5 hours for the full collection.

Book Gallerie dell'Accademia guided tour

Palazzo Ducale, Venice

St. Christopher fresco, Votive Picture of Jacopo Pesaro, Sala del Collegio paintings – book 1 – 2 days ahead

In the Sala del Collegio (second floor), look for the ceiling canvases including Faith (Allegory of Religion) and the votive painting of Doge Antonio Grimani. The St. Christopher fresco survives on the staircase wall. These works are easy to miss among the building's vast decoration, so allow extra time.

Book Palazzo Ducale tickets

Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Venus of Urbino (1538), Flora (ca. 1515), Concert (attributed) – book 3 – 5 days ahead, longer for weekends

The Venus of Urbino hangs in the Titian room on the second floor (rooms 83 – 85 in the current layout). Commissioned by Guidobaldo II della Rovere, it remains the most influential reclining nude in European painting. The Flora is nearby. Timed entry is mandatory; early morning slots (8:15 – 9:00) are least crowded.

Book Uffizi tickets | Uffizi guided tour

Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence

Portrait of Pietro Aretino (1545), La Bella (ca. 1536), Mary Magdalene (ca. 1533) – book 2 – 3 days ahead

The Galleria Palatina on the first floor of Palazzo Pitti displays paintings in their historical salon-style hang. The Portrait of Pietro Aretino is in the Sala di Apollo. La Bella and the Mary Magdalene are in adjacent rooms. The collection also includes the Concert (now sometimes attributed to Giorgione). Combined Pitti + Boboli tickets are available.

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Museo del Prado, Madrid

Over 40 paintings, including Charles V at Mühlberg (1548), Danaë (1553), Bacchanal of the Andrians (1523 – 1526) – book 1 – 2 days ahead

The Prado holds the world's largest Titian collection, built from the Spanish royal collection of Philip II. Key rooms: rooms 24 – 29 (first floor, south wing) display the equestrian Charles V, the Worship of Venus, Bacchanal of the Andrians, and Venus with an Organist. Rooms 41 – 44 hold additional portraits and devotional works. The late Self-Portrait (ca. 1567) and the unfinished Entombment of Christ are also here. Allow at least two hours for Titian alone.

Book Museo del Prado tickets | Prado guided tour

Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

Ecce Homo (1543), Nymph and Shepherd (ca. 1570), Bravo (ca. 1520), Girl in a Fur (ca. 1535) – book online to skip queues

Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum holds works from the Habsburg collections in rooms on the first floor (Gemäldegalerie, Saal I – IV). The Nymph and Shepherd, one of Titian's most mysterious late works, is especially worth seeking out. The museum also displays Jacopo Strada's portrait (1567 – 1568), a sharp psychological study. Nearby in the same building: major works by Veronese and Tintoretto for comparison.

Book Kunsthistorisches Museum tickets

National Gallery, London

Bacchus and Ariadne (1520 – 1523), Diana and Actaeon (1556 – 1559, shared with Edinburgh), Noli me tangere (ca. 1514) – free entry, no booking needed

Bacchus and Ariadne hangs in room 10, one of the most vivid color compositions in European painting. The blue of Ariadne's sky, the orange of the clashing drapery, and the gold of the leopard skins are best seen in person. The Diana and Actaeon (co-owned with the National Gallery of Scotland) alternates display between London and Edinburgh. Noli me tangere is in the same wing. Free admission; check the website for temporary loans.

Book National Gallery guided tour

Museo di Capodimonte, Naples

Danaë (1544 – 1545), Portrait of Pope Paul III (1543), Pope Paul III and His Grandsons (1546) – book 1 – 2 days ahead

Capodimonte holds the original Danaë, painted in Rome for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (the later versions in Madrid and Vienna followed this prototype). The papal portraits are among Titian's most penetrating character studies. All three hang in the Farnese Collection rooms on the second floor.

Book Museo di Capodimonte tickets

Galleria Borghese, Rome

Sacred and Profane Love (ca. 1514), Venus Blindfolding Cupid (ca. 1565) – mandatory timed entry, book 1 – 2 weeks ahead

Sacred and Profane Love is in Room XX on the ground floor. It is one of Titian's most debated early works, with a composition divided between a clothed and a nude female figure at a sarcophagus fountain. Each Borghese visit is limited to two hours; arrive promptly for your slot. The Venus Blindfolding Cupid (upstairs) represents the late style.

Book Galleria Borghese reserved entry | Borghese guided tour

National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh

Diana and Actaeon (1556 – 1559, shared with London), Diana and Callisto (1556 – 1559), Three Ages of Man (ca. 1512) – free entry

Edinburgh holds two of the six poesie Titian painted for Philip II. Both Diana and Actaeon and Diana and Callisto rotate with the National Gallery London (check which is currently displayed before visiting). The Three Ages of Man, an early pastoral work, is also here. Free admission.

National Gallery of Scotland official site

Gemäldegalerie, Berlin

Venus with the Organ Player (ca. 1550), Self-Portrait (ca. 1562)

Berlin's Gemäldegalerie holds a strong group of Venetian paintings. Titian's Venus with the Organ Player is a variant of the Madrid version, displayed alongside works by Giorgione and Veronese in the Italian wing.

Book Gemäldegalerie Berlin tickets

Santa Maria della Salute, Venice

St. Mark Enthroned with Saints (ca. 1510), ceiling paintings in the sacristy – small sacristy fee, no advance booking

The sacristy of the Salute holds a group of early Titian ceiling canvases (Cain and Abel, Sacrifice of Isaac, David and Goliath) and the St. Mark Enthroned altarpiece. These are among the earliest attributable works. The sacristy is often uncrowded. Open daily 9:00 – 12:00 and 15:00 – 17:30.

Chiesa di San Salvador, Venice

Annunciation (ca. 1560 – 1566), Transfiguration (ca. 1560) – free entry

Two late altarpieces, both showing Titian's characteristic loose brushwork. The Annunciation on the right wall is signed "TITIANUS FECIT FECIT" (the double signature is original and deliberate). San Salvador is on the Mercerie, a 10-minute walk from Rialto.

Main Titian clusters

Primary city

Venice: Frari, Accademia, Ducale, Salute, San Salvador

Venice holds the greatest concentration of Titian's works in their original settings. Start at the Frari for the Assunta, then walk to the Accademia (15 min) for the Pietà. The Palazzo Ducale, Salute sacristy, and San Salvador complete a two-day Titian circuit. Book the Accademia and Ducale online; the churches need no reservation.

Habsburg collections

Madrid (Prado) and Vienna (KHM): court portraits and mythologies

Titian worked for Charles V and Philip II across three decades. The Prado inherited the bulk of these commissions (40+ paintings); the Kunsthistorisches Museum holds further portraits and late works. Plan 2 – 3 hours at each museum for the Titian rooms alone.

Scattered poesie

London, Edinburgh, Boston: the six poesie for Philip II

Titian's mythological cycle for Philip II (1551 – 1562) is now split across five institutions. The National Gallery London and National Gallery of Scotland share Diana and Actaeon; the Prado has Danaë and Venus and Adonis; the Wallace Collection holds Perseus and Andromeda; the Gardner Museum in Boston has The Rape of Europa. Check rotation schedules before traveling.

Practical note

Booking tips for Titian sites

The Galleria Borghese (Rome) requires booking 1 – 2 weeks ahead, with mandatory 2-hour timed slots. The Uffizi needs 3 – 5 days in peak season. Venice churches (Frari, Salute, San Salvador) need no booking but have midday closures. The Prado offers free entry Mon – Sat 18:00 – 20:00 and Sun 17:00 – 19:00.

Best city

Primary city

Venice

The indispensable starting point for Titian, because Venice is not only where decisive works are located; it is the city that reveals how his painting thinks through color, light, and ceremonial scale.

Map-first planning

Open the full ArtAtlas map

Useful for readers who want to move from the artist page into the broader geography of works, sites, and related destinations.

Next artist

Continue with Raphael

Titian and Raphael form a productive comparison within High Renaissance painting, between chromatic richness and compositional clarity.

FAQ

Why use a map for Titian?

Because Titian’s works are inseparable from site, patronage, and collection history. Churches, museums, and Venetian settings change how his painting is perceived and understood.

Is Titian mainly a painter on this page?

Yes. Painting remains central, but the page is built to include altarpieces, portraits, mythologies, museum collections, churches, and major sites associated with his artistic geography.

Where should I start?

Start with Venice. It is the primary city for understanding Titian's art in relation to color, sacred image, public prestige, and the larger tradition of Venetian painting.

Titian, where color became destiny.

If other painters persuade through design, Titian persuades through paint itself. Flesh, silk, sky, and grief are all transformed by color into states of being, and the visible world acquires a new sovereignty through touch. That logic becomes fully intelligible only when it is returned to the churches, museums, and luminous geography of Venice.

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