Palazzo Ducale, San Marco 1, Venice. Attractions - Time Out Venice Palazzo Ducale review 2 Users say 4/5 Rate it An unobtrusive side door halfway down the right wall of the nave in San Marco leads straight into the courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace). Today's visitors take a more roundabout route, but that door is a potent symbol of the entwinement of Church and state in the glory days of La Serenissima. If the basilica was the Venetian Republic's spiritual nerve centre, the Doge's Palace was its political and judicial hub. The present site was the seat of ducal power from the ninth century onwards, though most of what we see today dates from the mid 15th century. Devastating fires in 1574 and 1577 took their toll, but after much heated debate it was decided to restore rather than replace - an enlightened policy for the time. The palace is the great Gothic building of the city, but is also curiously eastern in style, achieving a marvellous combination of lightness and strength. The ground floor was open to the public; the work of government went on above.

This arrangement resulted in a curious reversal of the natural order. The building gets heavier as it rises: the first level has an open arcade of simple Gothic arches, the second a closed loggia of rich, ornate arcading. The top floor is a solid wall broken by a sequence of Gothic windows. Yet somehow it doesn't seem awkward. The façade on the Piazzetta side was built in the 15th century as a continuation of the 14th-century waterfront façade. On the corner by the ponte di Paglia (Bridge of Straw) is an exquisite marble relief carving, the Drunkenness of Noah from the early 15th century, while on the Piazzetta corner is a statue of Adam and Eve from the late 14th century. The capitals of the pillars below date from the 14th to the 15th centuries, although many of them are 19th-century copies (some of the originals are on display inside the palace).

The Porta della Carta (Paper Gate - so called because this was where permits were checked), between the palace and the basilica, is a grand piece of florid Gothic architecture and sculpture (1438-42) by Bartolomeo and Giovanni Bon. The statue of Doge Francesco Foscari and the lion is a copy dating from 1885; French troops smashed the original when they occupied the city in 1797. Behind the palace's fairy-tale exterior the complex machinery of empire whirred away with assembly-line efficiency. Anyone really interested in the inner workings of the Venetian state should take the 90-minute Itinerari Segreti tour. This takes you into those parts of the palace that the official route does not touch: the cramped wooden administrative offices; the stark chambers of the Cancelleria Segreta, where all official documents were written up in triplicate by a team of 24 clerks; the chamber of the three heads of the Council of Ten, connected by a secret door in the wooden panelling to the Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci, and the torture chambers beyond.

The tour ends up in the leads - the sweltering prison cells beneath the roof from which Casanova staged his famous escape (probably by bribing the guard, though his own account was far more action hero) - and among the extraordinary beams and rafters above the Sala del Maggior Consiglio. Following reorganisation, the main visit - for which an audio guide is recommended - now begins at the Porta del Frumento on the lagoon side of the palace. The Museo dell'Opera, just to the left of the ticket barrier, has the best of the 14th-century capitals from the external loggia; the ones you see outside are mostly copies. In the main courtyard stands the Arco dei Foscari - another fine late-Gothic work, commissioned by Doge Francesco Foscari in 1438, when Venice was at the height of its territorial influence. It was built by Antonio Bregno and Antonio Rizzo.

Rizzo also sculpted the figures of Adam and Eve (these too are copies; the originals are in the first-floor liagò), which earned him gushing accolades and led to his appointment as official architect in 1483, after one of those disastrous fires. Rizzo had time to oversee the building of the overblown Scala dei Giganti (where doges were crowned) and some of the interior before he was found to have embezzled 12,000 ducats; he promptly fled, and died soon after. The official route now leads up the ornate Scala d'Oro staircase by Jacopo Sansovino, with stuccoes by Vittoria outlined in 24-carat gold leaf. First floor: Doge's apartments The doge's private life was entirely at the service of La Serenissima and even his bedroom had to keep up the PR effort. These rooms are occasionally closed or used for temporary exhibitions; when open, the Sala delle Mappe (also known as the Sala dello Scudo) merits scrutiny. Here, in a series of 16th-century maps, is the known world as it radiated from Venice.

Just to the right of the entrance is a detailed map of the New World with Bofton (Boston) and Isola Longa (Long Island) clearly marked. Further on, seek out Titian's well-hidden fresco of St Christopher (above a doorway giving on to a staircase): it took the artist a mere three days to complete. Second floor: State rooms This grandiose series of halls provided steady work for all the great 16th-century Venetian artists. Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Palma il Vecchio and Jacopo Bassano all left their mark, though the sheer acreage that had to be covered, and the subjects of the canvases - either allegories or documentary records of the city's pomp and glory - did not always spur them to artistic heights. The Sala delle Quattro Porte was where the Collegio - the inner cabinet of the Republic - met before the 1574 fire. After substantial renovation it became an ambassadorial waiting room, where humble envoys could gaze enviously at Andrea Vicentino's portrayal of the magnificent reception given to the young King Henry III of France in 1574.

The Anticollegio, restored in part by Palladio, has a spectacular gilded stucco ceiling, four Tintorettos and Veronese's blowsy Rape of Europa. Beyond here is the Sala del Collegio, where the inner cabinet convened. The propaganda paintings on the ceiling are by Veronese; note the equal scale of the civic and divine players, and the way both Justice and Peace are mere handmaidens to Venice herself. But for real hubris, stroll into the Sala del Senato, where Tintoretto's ceiling centrepiece shows The Triumph of Venice. Here the Senate debated questions of foreign policy, war and commerce, and heard the reports of Venetian ambassadors. Beyond again are the Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci and the Sala della Bussola, where the arcane body set up to act as a check on the doge considered matters of national security. In the former, note Veronese's ceiling panel, Juno Offering Gifts to Venice. By the time this was painted in 1553, the classical gods had started to replace St Mark in Venice's self-aggrandising pantheon. The itinerary continues through an armoury.

First floor: State rooms The Sala dei Censori leads down to a liagò (covered, L-shaped loggia), which gives on to the Sala della Quarantia Civil Vecchia (the civil court) and the Sala del Guariento. The latter's faded 14th-century fresco of The Coronation of the Virgin by Guariento (for centuries hidden behind Tintoretto's Paradiso in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio) looks strangely innocent amid all this worldly propaganda. The shorter arm of the liagò has the originals of Antonio Rizzo's stylised marble sculptures of Adam and Eve from the Arco dei Foscari. Next comes the Sala del Maggior Consiglio - the largest room in the palace. This was in effect the Republic's lower house, though this council of noblemen had fairly limited powers. Before the fire of 1577 the hall had been decorated with paintings by Bellini, Titian, Carpaccio and Veronese. When these works went up in smoke, they were replaced by less exalted ones, with one or two exceptions.

Tintoretto's Paradise, on the far wall, sketched out by the 70-year-old artist but completed after his death in 1594 by his son Domenico, is liable to induce vertigo, as much for its theological complexity as its huge scale. In the ceiling panels are works by Veronese and Palma il Giovane; note too the frieze of ducal portraits carried out by Domenico Tintoretto and assistants; the black veil marks where Marin Falier's face would have appeared had he not unwisely conspired against the state in 1356. On the left side of the hall, a balcony gives a fine view over the southern side of the lagoon. A door leads from the back of the hall into the Sala della Quarantia Civil Nuova and the large Sala dello Scrutinio, where the votes of the maggior consiglio were counted; the latter is flanked by vast paintings of victorious naval battles, including a dramatic Conquest of Zara by Jacopo Tintoretto and Battle of Lepanto by Andrea Vicentino.

Criminal courts & prigioni Backtracking through the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, a small door on the left leads past the Scala dei Censori to the Sala della Quarantia Criminale - the criminal court. The room next door retains some of the original red and gold leather wall coverings. Beyond this is a small room that has been arranged as a gallery, with Flemish paintings from Cardinal Grimani's collection. The route now leads over the Bridge of Sighs to the Prigioni Nuove, where petty criminals were kept. Lifers were sent down to the waterlogged pozzi (wells) in the basement of the palazzo itself. By the 19th century most visitors were falling for the tour guide legend that, once over the Bridge of Sighs, prisoners would 'descend into the dungeon which none entered and hoped to see the sun again,' as Mark Twain put it.

But when this new prison wing was built in 1589, it was acclaimed as a paragon of comfort; in 1608 the English traveller Thomas Coryat remarked, 'I think there is not a fairer prison in all Christendom.' Some of the cells have their number and capacity painted over the door; one has a trompe l'œil window, drawn in charcoal by a bored inmate. On the lowest level is a small exercise yard, where an unofficial tavern used to operate. Up the stairs beyond is a display of Venetian ceramics found during excavations, and more cells, one with cartoons and caricatures left by 19th-century internees. Back across the Bridge of Sighs, the tour ends on the lower floor in the Avogaria - the offices of the clerks of court. Next to this a bookshop has been set up, with a good selection of works on Venice.

Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace inside Palazzo Ducale - Review of Doges' Palace, Venice, Italy - TripAdvisor “Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace inside Palazzo Ducale” Reviewed September 2, 2014 We took the "Secret Itineraries" tour of the Doges Palace inside Palazzo Ducale which covers the rooms and chambers where the delicate work of some of the most important bodies in the Venetian administration and justice was carried out. The Doges' Palace was the official residence of each doge (ruler) and was founded in the 9th century. Most of the current architecture is from the 14th and early 15th centuries. The architecture is gothic with layer upon layer of ornamentation. There are many Renaissance additions and opulent mannerist details. From the courtyard you can view the "Giants' Staircase" with Sansovino's statues of Mars and Neptune, representing symbols of power. From the large and bright courtyard, rich in precious marble decorations, we went through a narrow door on the ground floor, you’ll find ourselves in the Pozzi (wells).

They were terrible places of detention, consisting of small wet cells, barely lit by oil lamps, ventilated only through round holes in thick stone walls and closed in by locked doors with solid bolts. In each cell there was a wood litter, a shelf for the few things the detainee could keep and a wooden bucket with a lid to contain human excrement. From some writings and some drawings on the walls we can imagine the feelings of despair and the desire for freedom of the prisoners. A narrow staircase takes you up to the two small rooms that housed important officers of the institutional machinery: the Ducal Notary and the Deputato alla Segreta of the Council of Ten. The Notary functioned as a sort of secretary to the various magistrature within the Republic, whilst the Deputato alla Segreta kept a special and secret archive for the Council of Ten. From here we passed the Office of the Great Chancellor, head of what today would be known as the General Archives. Due to the delicate nature of his work, this was the only public figure to be elected directly by the Great Council.

This staircase leads to the large and beautiful Chamber of the Secret Chancellery, whose walls are lined with cabinets containing public and secret documents relating to the work of most of the Venetian magistrature. The mirrored upper doors are decorated with the coats-of-arms and names of the various chancellors appointed from 1268 onwards. Passing through the small room of the Regent to the Cancelleria we come to the Torture Chamber, also known as the Chamber of Torment; this disturbing place is linked directly with the Prisons. The interrogations were held here in the presence of the judges, and the most commonly used instrument of torture was the rope, from which the person being interrogated was hung and pulled by his arms tied behind his back. Though torture was practised in Venice, it was not particularly savage or gruesome, and from the 17th century onwards it was gradually abandoned; by the 18th century it had practically been abolished altogether. From the Torture Chamber you pass to the so-called Piombi. The name comes from the lead [piombo] covering on the roof.

These cells were used exclusively for the prisoners of the Council of Ten – either those accused of political crimes, those awaiting sentence or those serving short prison terms. Located directly under the roof, the 6 or 7 cells were formed of wooden partitions to which were nailed sheets of iron. Though so vividly described by Giacomo Casanova, the Piombi did in fact offer prisoners much better conditions than those in the pozzi (the wells), the terrible cells on the ground floor of the Doge’s Palace. Both cells that were occupied by Casanova, now reconstructed, are part of the tour. From the Piombi you pass directly under the roof to the attic, with its attractive wooden trusses, located at the corner of the building between the waterfront and canal-side facades. This was the site of one of the corner towers of the much earlier castle occupied by the Doge. Exhibited here are numerous weapons “da botta” (blow” and “da taglio” (cut), crossbows, lances, Venetian and Ottoman, mostly of the 16th century as well as precious metal armatures, shields and gauntlets.

From this attic, two long flights of stairs take you to the Chamber of the Inquisitors, a much-feared magistratura that was set up in 1539 to protect state secrets (its full title was “Inquisitors of the propagation of the secrets of the State”). Two of the three inquisitors were chosen from the Council of Ten, the third from among the district councillors who attended upon the Doge. Required to be objective, efficient and competent in the performance of their duties, the Inquisitors had to maintain total secrecy with regard to any information they might discover during the course of their work – information they could obtain using all the means at their disposal, including resort to informers and torture. The ceiling is decorated with works by Tintoretto, painted in 1566-1567. From here we pass through to the Chamber of the Three Head Magistrates, chosen every month from amongst the members of the Council of Ten. They were responsible for preparing court cases and seeing that the Council rulings were carried out as quickly as possible (they themselves were responsible for assessing which should be given priority). The decoration of the ceiling dates from 1553-54.

The octagonal central panel with The Victory of Virtue over Vice is the work of Giambattista Zelotti, whilst the side compartments are by Giambattista Ponchino and Paolo Veronese. In the Chamber of the Three Head Magistrates there is a secret passageway in a wooden cabinet, linked directly to the Chamber of the Council of Ten. We left the tour here and made our own way around the palace. We took the Gold Staircase, leading to the upper floors, where various State Government offices were situated. We viewed the Doges' apartments which are covered with maps of the world. In the centre of the room are two giant 18th century globes. We visited three other floors which are various institutional chambers each more and more opulent and decorated with marble, gold and freezes then the one before. We walked along the corridor that leads over the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1614 to link the Doge’s Palace to the structure intended to house the New Prisons. Enclosed and covered on all sides, the bridge contains two separate corridors that run next to each other.

The famous name of the bridge dates from the Romantic period and was supposed to refer to the sighs of prisoners who, passing from the courtroom to the cell in which they would serve their sentence, took a last look at freedom as they glimpsed the lagoon and San Giorgio through the small windows. We were totally exhausted after walking around the Palazzo Ducale so headed back to our hotel for a short rest. Visited June 2014 “very interesting and quite!” Reviewed September 2, 2014 This was the first place we visited in Venice that we actually paid money for. It was great. If you like history this is defenitely the place for you! We would recommend getting the audio guide because it makes everything just a bit more 8nterest8ng. But take you own earphones. My husbad and I decided to share one audio guide and this worked great for us! This attraction wasn't as busy as some of the other attractions which is defenitely great when you go in the tourist season. While walking through the palace there are also great viewe of Venice and it has great photos ops!

Visited July 2014 “Really impressive” Reviewed September 2, 2014 To experience all of the Doge's Palace, you should book the secret itinerary tour. I would suggest to do that online in advance (on vivaticket.it) or it could be full already. The tour is available only in Italian, English and French, though (not in German). You can only visit the secret wing of the Palace on this tour, and it turned out to be very good. The secret wing includes the prisons, offices and archives of the Venetian secret service and related organs of state, as well as Casanova's cell. If you book the tour (or any tour I assume), you don't have to pay extra for the rest of the Palace - it's included. The rooms from which the Venetian republic was run are lavishly decorated and some of them are just unbelievably big. They also have a very extensive collection of medieval and renaissance weapons and armor, and you get to walk through the Bridge of Sighs. I spent about four hours here - I recommend to take your time to look at everything and take it all in. In any case, the Doge's Palace is a must-see!

Visited August 2014 Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Venice - information & booking Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Venice - information & booking Ticket types, opening times, how to gain admission The Doges's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Venice, Italy - information and ticket reservation [ Click here for information on the 'Secret Itineraries' tour of the Doge's Palace . The 'Secret Itineraries' tour is NOT included in the standard ticket. ] The Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace, was the seat of the government of Venice for centuries. As well as being the home of the Doge (the elected ruler of Venice) it was the venue for its law courts, its civil administration and bureaucracy and — until its relocation across the Bridge of Sighs — the city jail. The system of elected doges was as singular as everything else about this very singular city, and lasted for 1000 years, from the election of Paolo Lucio Anafesto in 697AD to the deposing of Ludovico Nanin in 1789.

The Serene Republic was just that, a republic, and guarded fiercely against hereditary rule, though as we will see that principle was increasingly shaped to the advantage of the ruling classes. A vast bureaucracy of elected civil servants, committees and councils was presided over by the only figure elected for life, the doge. The doge sat on numerous of the committees and thus played a huge role in steering policy; the principle of rule for life was an attempt to establish stability, a mature check on the whims of temporarily elected officials … not unlike Britain’s House of Lords. But the Venetians were wary of the corruptions of lifetime rule and established a similarly complex system of checks on the doge. All his mail was read first by the censor; all foreign dignitaries were received in committee rather than by the doge alone. Transgressions were taken seriously. The palace’s most impressive room, the Sala del Maggior Consiglio (the Hall of the Great Council), has a frieze of paintings of the first 76 doges … with the exception of Marino Faliero (or Marin Falier).

The 55th doge was appointed on 11 September 1354 and by 1355 was plotting a coup, after which he would declare himself prince. Perversely this was fired by a hatred for the nobility, and more plausibly by his senility (he was already in his seventies). The hapless Falier pleaded guilty, was beheaded, mutilated and condemned to Damnatio Memoriae, whereby all traces of a person would be expunged from history or memory. His place on the wall of paintings is empty, covered by a black veil. First raised in the ninth century, the Palazzo Ducale was rebuilt many times thereafter, and it was with the construction of the Sala del Maggior Consiglio in 1340 that the present building really took shape. Work continued until 1420, largely under the guidance of architect and sculptor Filippo Calendario. The new hall was built parallel to the waterfront and entered by the Porta della Carta (although tourists today don’t use this entrance).

This grand entrance was built by Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon in 1438, a commission from the then doge, Francesco Foscari. One of the many acts of vandalism perpetrated by Napoleon upon Venice was the destruction of the sculptures of Foscari and his lions here (the smashing undertaken by the chief of the stonemason’s guild). The sculptures you see now are later replicas. Porta della Carta means ‘paper door’, probably so named because city decrees were once nailed here for the public to see. The new palace was enormously impressive. Huge walls of white limestone and pink marble were softened by porticos, finely wrought loggias, a crenellated roof and a series of balconies by Pier Paolo and Jacobello Dalle Masegne. The Palazzo Ducale is a superb example of Venetian Gothic architecture and even later vandalism didn’t spoil it. Work on the palace has barely stopped in the intervening centuries (today parts of it can, rather annoyingly, be closed with little notice, but the building does receive constant care and restoration). So as well as good medieval carvings you will see fine 19th century copies, and probably not be any the wiser.

The decoration is enormously elaborate and impressive. The 36 capitals on the lower colonnade of the building have carvings of beasts, flowers and representations of the months of the year. Didactic moral sculptures represent scenes such as the Judgement of Solomon, the Drunkenness of Noah and Adam and Eve with the Archangel Gabriel, and so on. You will enter the palazzo through a door next to the Lagoon, and enter an enormous courtyard, and the Arco Foscari. Here we see the mix of styles that make up the palace, as successive doges tried to make the palace ever more magnificent. Antonio Rizzo built the eastern façade in 1485, an exercise in Renaissance classicism, decorated by Pietro, Antonio and Tullio Lombardo. The south and west sides meanwhile, are Gothic in flavour. Sansovino built an enormous staircase, the Scala dei Giganti, in the mid-16th century. Spavento, Scarpagnino and Bartolomeo Monopola completed the courtyard in around 1600. Climb the Scala dei Giganti, overlooked by huge statues of Neptune and Mars, and you reach the first-floor loggia.

Here doges were crowned after a service in St Mark’s. Many of the paintings in the first area are workmanlike (there was a mass commission of work to replace paintings destroyed in a fire in 1577). Look on these and dream of the works by Titian, Bellini and Pisanello which were lost … there’s much better to come. See the Museo dell’Opera, displaying capitals from the exterior arcading of the palace. The staircase beneath the south-east of the portico (the Scala d’Oro, or golden staircase) was designed by Sansovino and leads you to a succession of rooms from the 16th century. Notice the gilt stuccoes by Alessandro Vittorio in the ceiling to the staircase. Upstairs you’ll move through the doge’s private rooms to the Anticollegio, where the doge and council would meet foreign dignitaries. The Anticollegio has four Tintorettos (Vulcan’s Forge, Mercury and the Graces, Bacchus and Ariadne and Minerva and Mars, and Veronese’s Rape of Europa.

You pass through the Sala degli Scarlatti by Pietro Lombardo, the Cappella Privata del Doge (St Christopher by Titian on the outside); the Sala delle Quattro Porte contains Titian’s Doge Antonio Grimani Kneeling before Faith. The Sala del Collegio is a room by Palladio hung with canvases by Tintoretto; the Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci has works by Veronese; and the Sala dell’Armamento the remains of Guariento’s fresco, Paradise, wrecked in the fire. Then we move on to the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, the most magnificent room in the palace and then out over the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs, constructed 1602) to the city’s ‘new’ prison. Before it was built, prisoners were kept in the eaves of the doge’s palace, (the Piombi or ‘leads’) or in the cellars (the Pozzi or ‘wells). You may view a location map here . Click for a fully zoomable Google Map here .

Park near the Doge's Palace, Venice - Parclick Parclick Park near the Doge's Palace in Venice Park near the Doge's Palace in Venice Enter the date and time in which you need to park Duration: We are looking for the best results according to your search. Free cancellation × Park near the Doge's Palace in Venice Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace) is an iconic symbol of Venice, situated in the San Marco district, next to Basilica di San Marco (St Mark's Basilica) in the heart of the city, located in the central piazza with the same name. It is a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic architecture, built in 812. During the Republic of Venice it was the headquarters for the Doge (an elected chief-of-state lordship), and the Venetian Magistracy. Today, it is the location for Museo Civico di Palazzo Ducale (Civic Museum of Doge's Palace). Do you want to park near the Doge's Palace? On Parclick you can choose from the best car-parks in Venice.

Obviously the best option to visit the Doge's Palace is on foot, to not only enjoy the beauty of the building, but also the enchantment of Piazza San Marco and the Basilica di San Marco. Moreover, given the lack of roads throughout the lagoon, the best solution for visiting the Doge's Palace that Parclick offers you, is to leave you vehicle on the mainland in Mestre, and take a bus over Ponte della Libertà (Bridge of Liberty), or alternatively a train stop from Venice Mestre Train Station to Venezia Santa Lucia. If however you prefer to park directly in the lagoon area, Parclick recommends leaving your vehicle in one of the car parks in Piazzale Roma, that are a stone’s throw from the centre and the last accessible area for vehicles. From Piazzale Roma, it is easy to get around the entire city on foot, enjoying a stroll among bridges and narrow streets, or, why not a ride on a gondola along the canals to the Doge's Palace.

On the other hand, if you prefer getting around on a steamboat, you can take the Line 2 steamboat from Piazzale Roma, that runs along Grand Canal, just metres away from the Doge’s Palace. Doge's Palace Most Serene Republic of Venice Visitors can also reach the Doge's Palace through Porta del Frumento, that initially leads into a courtyard where the coronation of the doge would take place. The Palazzo is on different levels, the first floor holds the Museo dell’Opera, and after climbing the Scala dei Giganti, one finds oneself in Piano delle Logge, where it is possible to visit the Sala dello Scrigno and the Sala della Milizia da Mar. The Scala d'Oro on the other hand leads to the first Noble Floors, with the Doge's apartments, the Magistracy’s Offices, and the building’s main room, the Hall of the Full Council.

There would be numerous other rooms to mention, such as those on the second noble floor, as well as the works of art inside the building, all by the most important and famous Venetian Masters of that period, such as Tintoretto, Palma il Giovane, Tiziano Vecellio (Titian), Paolo Veronese, and many others. Don’t waste any time, book your parking space near the Doge's Palace now with Parclick and let yourself be enchanted by its history and art! Free cancellation Palazzo Ducale - Doge's Palace, Venice, Italy, 3109 insider tips, photos, reviews & tickets - Page 2 Doge's Palace Guided Tour "Start your tour inside the Doge's Palace in the best possible way without queuing at the entrance. Your expert and professional guide will introduce you to the palace making you feel immersed in the history of the Republic of Venice.The palace built in Venetian Gothic style was the dwelling of the Doge the supreme authority of the Venice Republic.

This exclusive tour will take you back in time walking through the most important places of the history of Venice and thus providing you with a true perception of what was the golden age of the Republic of Venice.You'll visit the lavish Doge's Apartments with their magnificent decorated rooms Venice Walking Tour plus Skip the Lines Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica Tours "This tour combination is the right one for those who crave a full immersion into Venice and its ever lasting symbols. A tour not only to see Venice but to experience this city through its history and glorious past still shining in its historical sites and legendary characters.This combo will start with a beautiful walking tour which will take you among the most hidden and peaceful corners of Venice. Discover the city through its narrow alleys called “calli countless bridges and wide traditional and picturesque squares still the heart of Venetian people's social life. Discover the famous sites as well as hidden gems mixed with interesting facts about the city of the Serenissima and its everlasting history.The first highlight of the walking tour is St. Mark’s Square with the description of the majestic St.

Mark’s Basilica the elegant Doge’s Palace Morning Venice Walking Tour plus Doge's Palace Guided Visit "Meet your guide and start an interesting stroll to discover the most distinctive places of Venice and finally the precious rooms of the Doge's Palace where the history of the Venice Republic was made.In St Mark’s Square you will get a complete overview of the main monuments and palaces overlooking the square such as St Mark’s Cathedral the Bell Tower The Clock Tower the Doge’s Palace and the Procuratie. Then you will move to Santa Maria Formosa and hear tales and legends about this splendid church and the nearby square and Campo Santi Giovanni and Paolo. This exciting tour will then take you to the most significant places of Venice Doge’s Palace, Venice Travel Guide - Tour Italy Now Tour Italy Now Doge’s Palace Travel Guide Introduction Before Italy became the country that we know it as today, back then, it was actually composed of multiple city-states that were each ruled by a different head of state. Among these city-states was the Republic of Venice which was at one point a major economic and maritime power in the area.

The Repubblica di Venezia was headed by a “Doge” who was elected into this lifetime position by the local aristocracy, and was considered as the supreme authority by the people of Venice. Every leader needs a seat of government, and in the year 810, the Doge Angelo Partecipazio decided to move this from one of the Venetian islands, the island of Malamocco, to what is now present-day Rialto. Here, he had built his palace, the Doge Palace or Palazzo Ducale, and though the original structure was later destroyed in a fire, the Doge’s seat of power remained here firmly planted here. The palace was rebuilt by the Doge who was in charge in the 1100s, Sebastiano Ziani, and he took the opportunity to redesign everything which would affect the entire layout of the Piazza San Marco and shape it into what we now see today. Over the centuries, a number of fires would unfortunately destroy the Doge Palace, with each blaze immediately followed by a major reconstruction that would result in new facades, the addition of courtyards and new wings, as well as a shift in the style of its architecture and its interiors.

In the 1500s, however, after another fire, it was decided to maintain its original Gothic style. Photo by Dennis Jarvis And so for centuries, despite the blazes and periods of rebuilding, the Doge Palace remained the residence of the head of state as well as the headquarters of political institutions of the Republic of Venice. This would all change in 1797, however, when the Napoleonic occupation of the city occurred, followed by Austrian rule, until the unification of Italy in 1866 when the position of Doge was no longer required. By this time, the palace also began serving as the home for various administrative offices as well as the Biblioteca Marciana and other important cultural institutions within the city. By the late 1800s, though, the palace was showing signs of decay and was once more in need of a major facelift, and so the Italian government moved public offices in Venice elsewhere (with the exception of the State Office for the protection of historical Monuments) and provided the funds to restore the structure.

In 1923, the state entrusted the local Venetian municipality officials with the task of running the palace as a museum, and finally in 1996, the Doge’s Palace became part of the Venetian museums network. With its rich history, its ornate exteriors and lavish interiors, it is now one of the top museums in Venice, and boasts of three floors which visitors can tour and explore. What to See Doge’s Palace Interiors While the Palazzo Ducale is known mainly as the seat of the government of the Republic of Venice, it stil is, as the name suggests, the palace of a sovereign. As can be expected from such a structure, its interiors are opulent and lavish, as befitting of the person it is meant to host, the Doge. Hence, the designs and decorations within the building are nothing short of spectacular, as almost every inch and every room is a riot of beautiful carvings and sculptures. Almost every wall and ceiling is also adorned with priceless paintings and other works of art, including stuccoed ceilings painted by Jacopo Tintoretto, as well as canvases that were painted by the likes of Titian and his nephew Marco Vecellio.

Other notable artists whose work can be found at the palace are Paolo Veronese, Giambattista Tiepolo, Andrea Vicentino, and Palma Giovane, to name just a few. Glittering state offices, court rooms, parlors, ballrooms, and majestic staircases meant to impress foreign ambassadors with the power, wealth, and splendor of Venice were likewise richly decorated, and to this day, they continue to awe and inspire visitors. Exteriors and Courtyard The exterior of the Doge Palace is a masterful example of Gothic design. There are arcade statues by Filippo Calendario who was also the chief architect of the Doge’s Palace, and was also the designer of the open arcade that defines the exterior of the ground floor. He also designed several of the arcade sculptures, including the famous Drunkenness of Noah which can be found on the south façade’s corner. Then there is also the entrance gate between the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica, the Porta della Carta, or “Paper Gate”, which was built in 1438.

It was embellished with spires, carved trefoils, as well as statues, by the architect Bartolomeo Buon. Among his designs, the most notable of which would be the winged lion that is the symbol of Venice. Another notable sight would be the Foscari Arch, that is located past the Porta della Carta. It is a triumphal arch with beautiful statues by the celebrated sculptor Antonio Rizzo, and Gothic spires. Rizzo is also credited for designing the palace courtyard which is done in the Renaissance style. Museo dell’Opera When the Italian government decided to rescue the Doge Palace from the state of decay that it was in during the late 1800s to early 1900s, many elements of the building were removed for conservation purposes, and then replaced with replicas. Because these original elements mostly consisted of what is considered as 14th and 15th century masterpieces of Venetian sculpture, the items that were removed were housed in an area that was specifically meant to display and preserve them so that they may be appreciated by the public.

This area is what is now known as the Mueseo dell’Opera, and now features these sculptures as well as fragments of statues and important architectural and decorative works in stone from the facades of the Palace. The Bridge of Sighs and the New Prisons When the New Prisons, or Pozzi (as opposed to the Old Prisons, or Piombi), were built in the 1600s, a bridge was also constructed to connect it to the Palace itself. The name of this famous bridge is said to refer to the sighs of prisoners as they were led from the courtroom, and they took one last look at freedom before they were taken to their cells. Secret Itineraries The Secret Itineraries, or Itinerari Segreti, is a special tour designed by the museum that takes visitors deeper into the Doge Palace, and into areas that were considered private by the ruling officials of the Republic of Venice. In a city that is known for its air of mystery, this is where much of the political intrigue and subterfuge of the time was born.

The tour last for more than an hour and includes a visit to areas such as the Office of the Great Chancellor, a figure who oversaw the State Archives as well as many important and secretive documents; the Chamber of the Secret Chancellery, where meetings among the members of old Venice’s equivalent of the Secret Service were held. There are also the torture chambers, as well as the Piombi or Old Prisons, where political prisoners or prisoners awaiting trial were held (the most famous of whom was Casanova). Included in the tour is the Inquisitor’s Chamber where only the highest-ranking magistrates were allowed, and where they discussed state secrets. These are just to name a few, and the Secret Itineraries tour is an exciting trip that is not to be missed. Tips and Advice The Doge Palace is open from April to October, from 8:30 am to 7 pm. From November to March, the hourse are from 8:30am to 5:30 pm. Admission is allowed up to one hour before closing time. This location is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The full ticket price (without using a combined museum pass) is EUR 16.00.

It is possible to arrange a private visit to the Doge’s Palace after closing hours, but this will require a group of 15 people or more, and a special request to be sent to the admin office at least 5 working days before your desired date of visit. They will confirm availability for you, and if it is available, the full ticket cost is at EUR 55 per person. The Secret Itineraries tour in English lasts for more than an hour to an hour and a half, and normally begins at 9:55 am. The minimum group size is two people, and the maximum is 25. The full ticket price is EUR 20. It is available only via advanced booking, and requires a guide. It is also possible to arrange for the Secret itineraries tour to be held in the latter half of the day until closing hours, but will require a purchase of at least 15 tickets, plus an additional fee of EUR 31 per group. When joining a guided tour of at least 10 people, please note that audio equipment will be required. This can be rented from the venue at a cost of EUR 1 per person.

As with most institutions in Italy, there are discounted ticket rates available. You can contact the museum directly or ask your tour operator for more information on how to avail of these rates. Regarding accessibility, all regular areas of the Doge Palace as well as the ground floor restrooms are fully accessible. Take note however, that accessibility will be an issue for those who are considering joining the Secret Itineraries tours arranged by the museum, or for those who wish to visit the prisons and armory. These areas usually consist of small spaces on different levels which are connected by steep and narrow stairs, and are therefore not recommended for those with mobility problems, pregnant women, and those who suffer from claustrophobia, vertigo, and cardio-respiratory disorders. Small children are also not allowed. Yes! Please send me my FREE Insider Italy Vacation Checklist with all the insider travel secrets I'll need for a perfect Italy vacation. What are you looking for? Palazzo Ducale Venice Tour | Doge's Palace | Bridge of Sighs Important info Inside the majestic Palazzo Ducale in Venice, Italy a tour of Doge's Palace to discover the precious rooms where, for centuries, the history of the powerful Republic of Venice was determined.

Our fascinating Palazzo Ducale Venice Tour takes you to the most important places of the ancient Republic of Venice, the richly decorated rooms of the Doge's Apartment with its large enclosed courtyard, up to the Armoury, the terrible dungeons and the famous Venice Bridge of sighs: a complete visit to learn and fully appreciate the splendid Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy. Thanks to this fascinating Venice Doge's Palace tour, you will be transported back in time to the centuries when Venice was at its golden age and the Doge's Palace was the centre of the political power of the Serenissima. A detailed guided tour that will show you the treasures hidden in the Doge's Palace in Venice, from the masterpieces of the great artists who helped to enhance the splendour of the Republic of Venice to the sumptuous details of the sculptures and decorative elements.

The duration of the Doge's Palace tour in Venice will be about an hour, during which you can admire the Opera Museum, which houses the ancient capitals of the porch and portico of Doge's Palace, which form a fascinating allegorical 'speech' balanced between the sacred and the profane, history and legend, astronomy and astrology in a kind of poem in stone with human figures, animals, plants, symbols and signs of the zodiac, the ancient honour entrance of the Doge's Palace, the Giant's Staircase, with the two statues of Mars and Neptune sculpted by Sansovino, the Lodge Atrium, from which you can admire the picturesque views of the courtyard of the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Square, the famous Golden Staircase, with marble statues dedicated to Atlas and Hercules, elegant surroundings where the history of the Republic of Venice was determined, the Institutional Chambers, outlined by a decorative program that celebrates the functions and virtues of Venice. Our tour also includes a visit to the famous Sighs Bridge Venice, Italy, which connects the Doge's Palace to the New Prisons.

Built in 1614, the Bridge of Sighs was later covered and divided into two parallel corridors connected to a stair that leads from the Wells to the Piombi (the Leads). Its sad nickname refers to the convicts who, when crossing it, exhaled their last breath in freedom before serving their sentences in the prisons of Venice. There are many itineraries which explore Doge's Palace, Venice: but our tour, facilitated by an expert Venetian tourist guide, wants you to discover the magic of this age-old building that has witnessed firsthand the development of the troubled history of Venice. venetoinside.com offers you the opportunity to book your visit to the Doge's Palace in Venice at fixed times and conveniently online, so that you can enjoy this unique journey in a tranquil manner to discover the treasures in the ancient Doge's Palace of Venice. © Insidecom Tour Operator (authorization no. 62027 dated 09/07/12 with determination no.

2052/2012) Share on What is not specified under "Inclusions" Additional information: Before booking, please be advised that it is compulsory to print a paper copy of the voucher issued at the end of the online reservation and bring it with you the day of the tour. No credit or refunds will be given in the case of a NO SHOW (if you don't show up at the meeting point at the time indicated on your voucher). Please arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before the tour departure time. At the tour departure point you will meet a representative who will check your vouchers and give you information to do the tour. Please be advised that, due to the new security measures concerning the entrance into the major Venice museums, there might be queues at the entrance, with consequent protraction of the usual waiting time to access the museums. During the winter period (from November 1st to March 31st) the tour is BILINGUAL, because explanations will be provided in two languages if the audience provenience is mixed. This is a collective tour, which means there might be other participants going on the tour with you.

Please note that, due to the particular morphological structure of Venice and the logistic problems resulting from it, we cannot guarantee that the whole tour is accessible to people with limited mobility. This means that people with walking difficulties and wheelchair users could not be able to access some parts of the itinerary. In exceptional cases and/or reasons of force majeure that may prevent the tour already purchased to run regularly (i.e. acts of nature, strikes, exceptional closures, serious unexpected events or health problems experienced by the person in charge with the service after which it is really impossible to find a substitute), the tour might be cancelled.The customer will be notified of this as soon as possible and will be asked to choose between postponing the tour on the first date available or get a prompt refund of the price paid for the tour. Departure point map

Question: What English name is ususally given to The Palazzo Ducale in Venice ?
Answer: The Doge's Palace