After a classical education in both Europe and the USA, Pierre Higonnet has worked at first in advertising in Paris as a photographer and Art Director. In 1989, he moves to Venice and buys a run down “negozio” on the Island of the Giudecca.
The Galleria del Leone opens its doors in 1993, focusing since the beginning on contemporary black and white prints, as well as drawings, paintings and sculptures. The artist crew at that moment is composed of Daniele Bianchi, Edo Janich, Gérard Trignac, François Houtin and Jean-Pierre Velly, whom Pierre Higonnet had met in 1990 a few weeks before his disappearance; Mauro Corda, Silvano Porcinai and Laurent Belloni for sculptures.
Mathias Schauwecker, Miguel Condé, Pedro Cano, Raffi Kaiser, Safet ZEC, Lanfranco Quadrio, Lionel Guibout and Nicolas Alquin joined the team afterwards.
In 2002, the gallery publishes its first artist book with Lionel Guibout and Michel Tournier, le Radeau de la Méduse, and edits in 2003 a series of bronzes by Nicolas Alquin, Les Aperçus.
In 2007, the gallery relocates for 3 years near Rome and is currently settled in Ivry-sur-Seine, near Paris.

Since 1993, the Galleria del Leone has focused on representing contemporary artists dealing mainly with drawing or black and white prints. A specific interest has been developped for the fantastic and "visoinnary" french printmakers (Yves Doaré, François Houtin, Gérard Trignac, Philippe Mohlitz, Jean-Pierre Velly...) as well as for the Italian school of etching (Livio Ceschin, Toni Pecoraro, Lanfranco Quadrio, Roberto Stelluti, Safet ZEC...).

The gallery has held over 50 exhibitions, both in the gallery and during art fairs.