The only European power to have permanent plenipotentiaries in the cities of the Near East, Venice adopted a rational approach to the Islamic world, appreciating its philosphy and scientific achievements; whatever the vicissitudes of history, the city would continue to have links with all the great Muslim dynasties, from the Ayubids and the Mamlukes to the Ottomans. The exhibition charts this nuanced and complex relationship, which was particularly intense in the period from the 14th to the 16th century. The works on display include paintings, glass, metalwork and ceramics, fabrics and printed materials taken from the various great Venetian collections and museum institutions.