A member of a traditional Venetian family, Correr was a meticulous and passionate collector, dedicating most of his life to the collection of both works of art and documents or individual objects that reflected the history of Venice.

Over the years, the contents of the museum would be catalogued and organized to provide scholars with a study facility and the general public with the opportunity to see the best from each individual collection.

The design and early building works date from the period when Venice was part of the Kingdom of Italy (1806–1814), in which Napoleon was represented by the vice-regent Eugène de Beauharnais.

When the city came under Napoleonic rule, the French emperor and his court realized that public representation of imperial power posed certain logistical and political problems.

Having rejected the Doge's Palace because of its complex past, these turned to the Procuratie Nuove, the former residence of the Procurators of Saint Mark, along the southern edge of the square.

Designed in 1582 by Vincenzo Scamozzi, this structure itself had at the time been intended to complete the vast project for the reorganization of the Piazza San Marco, which had begun with Sansovino in the mid-16th century.

All the interiors within the Procuratie Nuove were changed, with the re-decoration reflecting the taste for Neoclassicism, together with the Napoleonic Wing – which now stands opposite St. Mark's Basilica – which was designed by Giuseppe Soli and Lorenzo Santi and incorporated into the palace.

Comprising a Ballroom, Throne Room and Banqueting Hall, this is the core of the public area of the palace, exhibiting artworks by Antonio Canova.

Repeatedly re-organized during the history of the museum, the gallery still substantially reflects the original collection left by Teodoro Correr, comprising artworks by Giovanni Bellini (including the early Crucifixion, Transfiguration of Christ, a Madonna and Child and Dead Christ Supported by Two Angels), Antonello da Messina, Cosmè Tura, Vittore Carpaccio (Man with Red Hat and Two Venetian Ladies), and others.