Founded in 1750 by the Venetian Senate as Venice’s school of painting, sculpture, and architecture, the school was one of the first to study and develop art restoration. The Accademia was renamed the Accademia Reale di Belle Arti and moved to its present premises in 1807 by order of the Napoleonic occupying forces. After the suppression of religious congregations and public Venetian magistratures, a large quantity of art works was confiscated. A selection of masterpieces was sent to Paris, to be shown in the Louvre Museum.

The connection between the Accademia Galleries and Venice is deep, as many important works from churches, schools, and public magistratures are preserved here. In some cases, the shown works are the only testimony remaining from churches destroyed during the Napoleonic period. Some of the most famous paintings form part of the collections thanks to the generosity of private collectors.