Description of the attraction
The palace takes its name from the residence of the Doge, the supreme head of the Venetian state. Almost nothing remains of the original structure, built before 1000 on the basis of pre-existing Roman walls. This antique building was destroyed by fire.
Construction of the Doge's Palace
The current Doge's Palace was built by stonemasons Filippo Calendario, Pietro Bazeio and master Enrico. In 1400-1404, the façade overlooking the lagoon was completed, and in 1424 the one that overlooked St. Mark's Square. Florentine and Lombard craftsmen were invited to complete the building, but most of the building in the Gothic style was carried out by members of the Bon family, Venetian marble craftsmen. In 1577, another fire destroyed one wing of the building and Antonio da Ponte, the creator of the Rialto Bridge, restored the building to its original appearance.
In the center of the eastern façade is a large balcony made by Sansovino's students in 1536. Above the balcony there is a lancet window and a sculpture of the Doge Andrea Gritti in front of the symbol of Venice. Above this balcony is a statue of Justice by the sculptor Alessandro Vittoria. It was from this balcony that the reunification of Venice with the Italian Kingdom was proclaimed in 1866.
Paper gate and palace facade
To the left of the façade overlooking St. Mark's Square gives access to the courtyard of the Doge's Palace. Paper Gate - Porta della Carte, created by Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon; in the form of a pointed arch, decorated in its upper part with decorative elements in the Gothic style; on the portal - Doge Francesco Foscari in front of a winged lion, and above - a statue of Justice. Through the Paper Gate you can go to the Foscari arched gallery, and then to the courtyard of the Doge's Palace, in the center of which there are two bronze parapets for wells by Alfonso Albergetti (1559) and Niccolò dei Conti (1556), cannon foundry workers.
The main façade on the east side of the entrance is by Antonio Rizzo, late 15th century, luxuriously decorated by Pietro Lombardo. The two facades that flank the courtyard on the south and west sides were built of red brick by Bartolomeo Manopol in the 17th century. At the top of the northern façade with the Foscari Arch Gallery, there is a clock face; this facade has two tiers of arches: semicircular in the portico and lancet in the loggia. Niches with restored antique statues stand out in the arched galleries. This façade is also the Baroque work of Manopol. On the right, on a high pedestal, there is a monument to the Duke of Urbino, Francesco Maria della Rovere, by Giovanni Bandini (1587). The Arch of Foscari opens in front of the Staircase of the Giants, begun by the Bon masters in the Gothic style and completed by the architect Rizzo in the Renaissance style. A statue of St. Mark and statues of other allegorical figures. Next to the Giant's Staircase is the Senator's Courtyard. By tradition, senators gathered here during solemn ceremonies.
Staircase of the Giants and the interiors of the palace
The Giant's Ladder takes its name from two huge statues of Mars and Neptune that Sansovino and his disciples sculpted. It was designed by Antonio Rizzo at the end of the 15th century. At the top of the stairs, the doge's coronation ceremony was performed. A staircase leads to a covered gallery on the second floor. Along the gallery and inside the palace, there are often "mouths of lions" - engraved heads of lions, into which messages and secret denunciations were dropped, which were the competence of various departments.
You can climb to the state rooms of the palace by the "Golden Staircase", designed by Sansovino in 1538 for the Doge Andrea Gritti and completed by Scarpanino in 1559. The staircase, covered with gilded stucco, in the old days was intended for important guests and dignitaries.
In the hall of Scarlatti, the dignitaries of the scarlet togas gathered, waiting for the doge to conduct official ceremonies. The luxurious decoration of this room was carried out under the direction of Pietro Lombardo. The rich wooden ceiling dates back to the early 16th century. The coat of arms of the Doge Agostino Barbarigo bears on the elegant marble fireplace. The Hall of Cartes takes its name from the important geographical maps that adorn the walls by Giovan Battista Ramnusio in 1540 and by Francesco Grisellini and Giustino Menescardi in 1762. In the center of the hall there are two large globes dating back to the 17th century.
In the Hall of the College, the College was assembled, consisting of the Doge, six councilors, foremen, the head of the Council of Ten, and the Supreme Chancellor. The most important decisions of the government of the republic were made here. This hall was designed by Antonio da Ponte in 1574. The magnificent gilded carved ceiling was created by Francesco Bello and is a framing of allegorical paintings by Paolo Veronese, among which "Venice on the Throne" stands out above the podium.
The Senate Hall was also remodeled by Antonio da Ponte. The beautiful ceiling was painted by Cristoforo Sorte from Verona. The panels inserted into it were created by various artists, including Tintoretto. In the Council Chamber of Ten, a tribunal sat, which conducted investigations concerning political crimes against the state. The tribunal was chaired by the Doge and consisted of ten members of the Grand Council and six councilors. Above this room were the lead-ceilinged prison cells, the so-called Piombi, in which Giacomo Casanova and Giordano Bruno were once imprisoned. In the center of the ceiling is the masterpiece of Paolo Veronese "Zeus strikes the vices with lightning", taken away in 1797 by the French to Paris and still kept in the Louvre. At present, a copy of this famous painting by Jacopo di Andrea has been installed on this site.
The Grand Council Hall occupies the entire south wing. It is 54 meters long, 25 meters wide and 15 meters high. It was decorated with masterpieces by Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto and other famous artists, but they all died in a fire in 1577. The hall was reconstructed according to the project of Antonio da Ponte. At present, the wall at the back of the hall is completely covered with the painting Paradise, painted by Jacopo Tintoretto and his son Domenico (1590). A huge oval painting by Paolo Veronese "The Triumph of Venice" stands out on the ceiling.
From the halls of the Office of Laws and the Office of Criminal Cases, you can enter the corridor, which, passing along the Bridge of Sighs, thrown over the Palace Canal, leads to the New Prisons, designed by the architect Antonio da Ponte. Two corridors cross the bridge: the upper one leads to the New Prisons, and the lower one returns to the portico floor of the Doge's Palace. The Old Prisons included Piombi, located under the lead roof of the Palace, and Pozzi, located at the water level of the Palace Canal, in which the most dangerous prisoners were imprisoned. Pozzi's prison cells, due to their wooden cladding and squalid space, give the visitor a gloomy feeling, and one can easily imagine the mood of those who were imprisoned here.
On a note
- Location: San Marco 1, piazzetta San Marco, 2, Venezia
- How to get there: vaporetto "S. Zaccaria"
- Official website:
- Opening hours: daily in summer 09.00-19.00 (ticket office until 18.00), in winter 09.00-17.00 (ticket office until 16.00).
- Tickets: ticket price - 20 euros.
