Doge's Palace

The Palazzo Ducale — Doge's Palace — was for nearly a thousand years the centre of the Venetian Republic's political and judicial power, serving simultaneously as the Doge's official residence, the seat of government, the location of courts, and the state prison. The current building dates primarily from the 14th and 15th centuries, its distinctive Venetian Gothic exterior combining white Istrian stone and pink Veronese marble with a loggia of pointed arches along the canal and piazza faces. Inside, the staterooms are decorated with paintings by Tintoretto, Veronese, and Palma the Younger commissioned specifically for the republic's most important spaces. The Sala del Maggior Consiglio — the Great Council Chamber — is one of the largest rooms in Europe at 54 by 25 metres, its entire end wall occupied by Tintoretto's Paradise, one of the largest oil paintings in the world. Veronese's ceiling painting Apotheosis of Venice represents the republic's self-image at the height of its power. The Bridge of Sighs connects the palace to the New Prison, passing above the Rio di Palazzo canal — the name derives from the alleged sighs of condemned prisoners seeing their last view of Venice through its stone lattice windows. The Secret Itineraries tour, bookable separately, accesses hidden rooms including the torture chamber, the leads (attic prison where Casanova was held), and the interrogation rooms not visible on the standard route. Standard admission is covered by the Museo di Piazza San Marco combination ticket.