Doge's Palace, Gothic palace and art museum in San Marco, Venice, Italy
The Doge's Palace is a Gothic structure on the Piazza San Marco featuring four stories with elegant arcades and delicate marble columns. Its interior holds large paintings, historical rooms, and art collections displayed across multiple levels and connected by grand staircases.
The palace began in the early 9th century when the government relocated to Venice and a new administrative center was needed. Over the following centuries, the building was repeatedly expanded and redesigned as the Venetian Republic grew more powerful.
The palace displays the power and daily governance of the Venetian Republic through its public chambers and decorated halls. Visitors can see the spaces where magistrates made decisions, surrounded by paintings and sculptures that celebrated the city's naval and commercial triumphs.
The palace sits directly on the Piazza San Marco in central Venice and is easily reachable on foot. Parts of the interior are accessible for visitors with limited mobility, though some areas may have stairs or narrow passages.
A hidden staircase inside one of the fireplaces led to secret passages, helping the famous adventurer Giacomo Casanova escape from the nearby prison where he had been held. This overlooked route reveals the concealed pathways built into the structure itself.
Location: Venice
Inception: 1340
Architects: Nicolò Barattieri
Architectural style: Gothic architecture
Floors above the ground: 4
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Opening Hours: April 01-October 31 08:30-19:00; November 01-March 31 08:30-17:30
Phone: +390412715911
Email: fmcvenezia@legalmail.it
Website: http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en
GPS coordinates: 45.43367,12.34042
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:43
Venice offers many opportunities for photos. The city sits on over one hundred small islands connected by canals and bridges. The Grand Canal curves through the historic center, lined with palaces from different centuries. The Rialto Bridge spans the canal at its narrowest point and has served as a major crossing since the 16th century. St. Mark's Square forms the center of the city, with St. Mark's Basilica, the campanile, and Doge's Palace. The Bridge of Sighs connects the palace to the former prison cells. On the surrounding islands, you can find other landmarks: Burano displays brightly painted houses, Murano is known for its glass workshops, and Torcello preserves Byzantine mosaics from the early Middle Ages. The Cannaregio district in the north houses the Jewish Museum and quieter canals away from the main routes. The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute stands at the entrance to the Grand Canal and shapes the city's skyline.
Venice is naturally suited for romantic getaways, with its winding canals, historic palaces, and squares full of history. This selection gathers places that make the city so popular among couples: Saint Mark's Square with its basilica and campanile, the Bridge of Sighs where tradition invites you to kiss in a gondola, or the quays of Fondamenta delle Zattere stretching along the Giudecca Canal. The Grand Canal, the main artery measuring 3.8 kilometers long, reveals 170 palaces built between the 13th and 18th centuries. This collection also includes characterful accommodations set within authentic Venetian residences. The Gritti Palace occupies a 15th-century palace overlooking the Grand Canal, while Ca' Bonfadini features its frescoed salons in the Cannaregio district. To extend your stay, the La Fenice Theatre offers opera performances in a restored 18th-century setting after the 1996 fire. San Giorgio Maggiore island, accessible by vaporetto, allows you to view the city from its campanile with an unobstructed perspective over the urban area.
St Mark's Basilica
102 m
Bridge of Sighs
55 m
St Mark's Campanile
116 m
Horses of Saint Mark
121 m
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
104 m
Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs
83 m
Doge's Palace
5 m
St Mark's Clocktower
167 m
Columns of San Marco and San Teodoro
67 m
St Mark's Clock
101 m
Loggetta
107 m
Treasury of San Marco
102 m
Ponte della Paglia
49 m
San Basso
171 m
Chiesa di San Teodoro
143 m
Museo diocesano d'arte sacra Sant'Apollonia
116 m
Porta della Carta
67 m
Palazzo Patriarcale
156 m
Palazzo Trevisan Cappello
170 m
Museo dell'Opera
26 m
Ponte de la Canonica
143 m
Palazzo delle Prigioni
70 m
Sala del Maggior Consiglio - Palazzo Ducale
9 m
Column of San Marco
53 m
Ponte Capello
176 m
Lion of Venice, Piazzetta San Marco
52 m
Ponte dei Consorzi
193 m
Calle dei Albanesi
113 mReviews
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