1 – Palazzo Ducale
1 – Palazzo Ducale. The Doge’s Palace, once the pinnacle of power in Venice, was both the government headquarters and the Doge’s residence.
A visit to Venice is truly incomplete without exploring the Palazzo Ducale, a Gothic architectural marvel; that once stood as the heart of Venetian power.
Palazzo Ducale – Introduction
It was once the foremost seat of power in Venice; housing both the government and the personal residence of the Doge, the head of the Venetian state. Adminstrative offices, law courts, grand stairways, council halls, apartments and prisons were all fit into this complex yet efficient beautiful building. Since 1923, the Palazzo Ducale, which is the most important museum of Venice; tells the history of the Serenissima, the longest lasting republic in history.
The building is a tour de force of ornate Gothic architecture in St Mark’s Square, with important Renaissance and Mannerist additions. Inside, visitors can walk through the sumptuous apartments of the Doge, into vast chambers decorated with paintings by the likes of Tintoretto and Titian, where governmental departments met and over the iconic Bridge of Sighs into the dark prisons. If you’re interested in Venice’s political past, then this is the place to visit.
I have written several posts on the Doges’s Palace, the Doges and the many attractions to be found in St Mark’s Square; all linked below. Therefore, I have kept the text of this post to a minimum.
- History Museum and the most visited in Venice.
- San Marco District.
- Suggested duration allowance: 3 – 4 hours.
- Vaporetto stops: San Marco and San Zaccaria.
MY TOP 25 MUSEUMS. Select your museum and click on the link below:
1 – Palazzo Ducale (The Doge’s Palace) Not linked
2 – Peggy Guggenheim Collection
6 – Scuola Grande di San Rocco
7 – San Servolo Insane Asylum Museum
8 – Palazzo Grassi (Francois Pinault Collection)
11 – Fondazione Querini Stampalia
24 – Museo Provinciale di Torcello
25 – Museo Archeologico Nazionale
LINKS (internal – external)
Official website Palazzo Ducale
You Tube Video – Venice: Palazzo Ducale- Exploratory Tour with Paintings in 4k)
The Museum – Exhibitions/Events Catalogue – MUVE Education – Plan your visit – Contacts – Tickets. The detailed audio guide is also well worth the extra cost. Remember prices change and so do any health regulations.
You can get a “Reserved Entry Admission Ticket”. Skip the line and get priority admission.
If you’re planning on museum-hopping during your trip, you may want to opt for the “St Mark’s Square Museums ticket”: at around €25 (£21), this grants entry to “ the Doge’s Palace” as well as the “Museo Correr”, the “Archeological Museum” and the “Biblioteca Marciana”.
Please always check prices and admission regulations, before booking or visiting.
To widen your experience and enjoyment before visiting, please see my comprehensive and illustrated posts below:
San Marco – District and Attractions
The Doge’s Palace The Doge’s Palace – Capital Columns
The Doges of Venice List of the Venetian Doges
1 – Palazzo Ducale 1 – Palazzo Ducale 1 – Palazzo Ducale 1 – Palazzo Ducale