Doge's Palace facts for kids
| Palazzo Ducale | |
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The Doge's Palace facing the lagoon
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| Established | 1340 |
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| Location | Piazza San Marco 1, 30124 Venice, Italy |
| Type | Art museum, Historic site |
| Visitors | 1.4 million (2018) |
The Doge's Palace (called Palazzo Ducale in Italian) is a famous building in Venice, Italy. It's built in a special style called Venetian Gothic. This palace was once the home of the Doge of Venice, who was the most important leader of the old Republic of Venice.
The palace was first built in 1340. Over the years, it was made bigger and changed many times. Since 1923, it has been a museum. It is now one of the 11 museums managed by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia.
Contents
History of the Doge's Palace
Around the year 810, the Doge Agnello Participazio decided to move the government's main office to the area where the palace stands today. He wanted a "ducal palace" built there. However, that first building was mostly destroyed by a fire in the 900s.
Later, Doge Sebastiano Ziani (who ruled from 1172 to 1178) started rebuilding the palace. He also changed the entire layout of St. Mark's Square. The new palace was built like a fortress. It had one side facing the Piazzetta and another looking out over St. Mark's Basin.
In the mid-1200s, the number of members in the Great Council grew a lot. This meant the palace needed to be much bigger. So, around 1340, construction began on a new Gothic palace. This new part mainly faced the lagoon.
It wasn't until 1424 that Doge Francesco Foscari decided to expand the rebuilding. This new work included the wing facing the Piazzetta. This part of the palace was used for law-courts. It had an open arcade on the ground floor and loggias (covered walkways) on the first floor. The Porta della Carta, a grand gateway, was finished in 1442.
In 1483, a big fire damaged the part of the palace where the Doge lived. Antonio Rizzo was hired to rebuild it. He brought the new Renaissance style to the building. Many famous artists like Vittore Carpaccio and Giovanni Bellini created artworks for the government rooms.
Another fire in 1547 damaged some rooms on the second floor. Then, in 1577, a third huge fire destroyed the Scrutinio Room and the Great Council Chamber. Many valuable artworks were lost. When rebuilding, it was decided to keep the original Gothic style. Even famous architect Andrea Palladio's new designs were not chosen.
Since the 1500s, the palace has been connected to the prison by the Bridge of Sighs. The Doge's Palace was the center of Venice's government until 1797. That's when Napoleon took over the city. After that, Venice was ruled by France, then Austria, and finally became part of Italy in 1866. During these times, the palace was used for various government offices and cultural groups.
By the late 1800s, the palace was falling apart. The Italian government spent a lot of money to restore it. In 1923, the Italian government gave the palace to the city of Venice to be run as a museum. Since 1996, it has been part of Venice's museum network.
Exploring the Palace
Outside the Palace
The oldest part of the palace faces the lagoon. Its corners have beautiful sculptures from the 1300s. The ground floor has an arcade, which is a row of arches. Above it is a loggia, a covered walkway. Both are decorated with carved tops of columns, called capitals. Some of these were replaced with copies in the 1800s.
The Porta della Carta (Paper Gate) was built between 1438 and 1442. It was the main entrance for ceremonies. Its name might come from public writers who worked nearby, or from the state archives. The gate is decorated with Gothic spires and statues. Above it is a statue of Justice with a sword and scales. There's also a sculpture of Doge Francesco Foscari kneeling before the Lion of Saint Mark, which is a symbol of Venice. The one you see today is a copy from the 1800s.
Today, visitors enter the Doge's Palace through the Porta del Frumento, which is on the waterfront side.
The Courtyard
The north side of the courtyard connects the palace to St Mark's Basilica. This basilica used to be the Doge's private chapel. In the middle of the courtyard are two old well-heads from the mid-1500s.
In 1485, a grand staircase was built in the courtyard. It's called the Giants' Staircase. Since 1567, two huge statues by Jacopo Sansovino stand guard at the top. They show Mars (god of war) and Neptune (god of the sea). These statues represent Venice's power on land and at sea. Members of the Venetian Senate would gather in the Senator's Courtyard before meetings.
Museo dell'Opera (Museum of Works)
Over many centuries, the Doge's Palace was repaired and rebuilt countless times. Fires, structural problems, and new needs meant there was always some work being done. From the Middle Ages, a "technical office" called the Opera was in charge of all these repairs.
In the late 1800s, the palace was in very bad shape. A big restoration project started in 1876. Many of the old carved column tops (capitals) on the ground floor and upper loggia were replaced with copies. The original masterpieces, some from the 1300s and 1400s, were moved to a special area. This area is now the Museo dell'Opera. Here, you can see these original sculptures and other stone artworks from the palace's facades.
The Doge's Apartments
The Doge's private rooms were always in this part of the palace. They were between the Rio della Canonica (a canal) and the Golden Staircase. A big fire in 1483 damaged these rooms, and they were rebuilt by 1510. These apartments were grand but not huge. The rooms closest to the Golden Staircase were used for both private and public events. In his private rooms, the Doge could relax and eat with his family.
- The Scarlet Chamber: This room might be named after the red robes worn by the Doge's advisors. The carved ceiling has the coat-of-arms of Doge Andrea Gritti.
- The "Scudo" Room: "Scudo" means "shield." This room is named after the reigning Doge's coat-of-arms, which was displayed here. The current one belongs to Ludovico Manin, the last Doge of Venice. This is the largest room in the Doge's apartments. It was used for receiving guests. Its decorations, including large maps, showed Venice's power and history.
- The Erizzo Room: Named after Doge Francesco Erizzo, this room has a carved wooden ceiling and a fireplace. A small staircase from here led to a roof garden.
- The Stucchi or Priùli Room: This room has two names. "Stucchi" refers to the stucco decorations on the ceiling and walls. "Priùli" comes from the coat-of-arms of Doge Antonio Priuli on the fireplace. There are also paintings about the life of Jesus and a portrait of King Henry III of France.
- The Philosophers' Room: Connected to the Shield Hall, this room was once decorated with pictures of ancient philosophers. Now it has allegorical artworks and portraits of Doges. A secret staircase allowed the Doge to quickly reach the upper floors for meetings. There is also a fresco of St. Christopher by Titian.
- The Corner Room: This room is named after Doge Giovanni I Cornaro, whose paintings are here. It has a fireplace made of Carrara marble. This room and the next one were for the Doge's private use.
- The Equerries Room: This was the main entrance to the Doge's private apartments. Equerries were special assistants chosen by the Doge for life.
Government Rooms
- The Square Atrium: This room was a waiting area before entering other important halls. Its decorations from the 1500s include paintings by Tintoretto and his workshop.
- The Four Doors Room: This was a formal waiting room for important guests. It gets its name from its four ornate doors, each with sculptures representing virtues. The frescoes show mythological scenes and cities under Venice's control. A famous painting by Tiepolo shows Venice receiving gifts from Neptune.
- Antechamber to the Hall of the Full College: Foreign ambassadors waited here to meet the Full College, a group that handled foreign affairs. The room has beautiful stucco work and ceiling frescoes. A central fresco by Veronese shows Venice giving out honors.
- The Council Chamber: The Full College worked to organize the Venetian Senate. They read messages from ambassadors, met foreign groups, and helped with laws. The ceiling paintings by Veronese celebrate good government and the virtues that guide it. Other paintings by Tintoretto show Doges with Christ, the Virgin, and saints.
- The Senate Chamber: Also called the Sala dei Pregadi, this is where the Senate met. The Senate was one of Venice's oldest government groups. By the 1500s, it managed finances, trade, and foreign policy. Paintings in this room by Tintoretto and Jacopo Palma il Giovane show important moments in Venetian history.
- The Chamber of the Council of Ten: This room is named after the Council of Ten, a powerful group formed after a plot in 1310. The ceiling is carved and gilded, with paintings that show the Council's power to punish the guilty and free the innocent.
- The Compass Room: This room was for justice. Its name comes from a large wooden compass that hides the entrance to the rooms of the Three Heads of the Council of Ten and the State Inquisitors. People summoned by these judges waited here. The ceiling paintings are by Veronese.
- The Chamber of the Great Council:
This is the largest room in the Doge's Palace and one of the biggest in Europe. It's 53 meters long and 25 meters wide. Here, the Great Council held its meetings. This Council was made up of all male members of noble Venetian families over 25 years old. It was seen as a symbol of fairness in the Republic.
After a fire in 1577, the room was quickly repaired. Artists like Veronese and Domenico Tintoretto decorated it. The walls show scenes from Venetian history, especially its relations with the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire. The ceiling celebrates the Republic.
Below the ceiling, there's a frieze with portraits of the first 76 Doges. Most of these were painted by Tintoretto's son. Each Doge holds a scroll listing his achievements. Doge Marino Faliero, who tried to take over the government in 1355, is shown as a black cloth because he was a traitor.
One long wall behind the Doge's throne has the world's longest canvas painting, Il Paradiso (Paradise). Tintoretto and his workshop created it between 1588 and 1592.
- The Scrutinio Room: This room was built between the 1520s and 1540s. It was first meant to hold valuable manuscripts. Later, it was used for counting votes during elections. After the 1577 fire, it was redecorated with paintings showing Venetian military victories.
- The Quarantia Criminale Chamber and the Cuoi Room: These rooms were used for justice. The Quarantia Criminal was a council that handled criminal law cases.
- The State Advocacies' Chamber: This room has paintings of the Avogadori di Común, who were officials who made sure laws were followed correctly. They also checked that noble families' marriages and births were legitimate.
Old Prison or Piombi
Before the 1200s, there were holding cells inside the Doge's Palace. More prison cells were added in the 1200s and 1300s on the ground floor. Around 1540, more cells were built on the ground floor of the eastern wing. These were dark, damp, and isolated, so they were called the Pozzi (the Wells).
In 1591, even more cells were built in the upper eastern wing. These were directly under the lead roof, so they were called the Piombi (Leads). Famous prisoners included Giacomo Casanova, who wrote about escaping through the roof.
Bridge of Sighs and the New Prisons
A corridor leads over the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1614. It connects the Doge's Palace to the New Prisons building. The bridge is enclosed and covered. It has two separate corridors. The one visitors use today linked the Prisons to the law courts. The other linked the prisons to other government rooms. Both corridors connect to a staircase that leads from the ground floor cells (Pozzi) to the roof cells (Piombi).
The famous name of the bridge comes from the Romantic period. It was said that prisoners would sigh as they crossed it. They would take a last look at freedom through the small windows as they saw the lagoon and San Giorgio. The New Prisons were built to have larger, brighter, and airier cells. However, some parts of the new prisons were still quite dark.
The only art theft from the Doge's Palace happened on October 9, 1991. A man named Vincenzo Pipino hid in a prison cell after a tour group left. He then crossed the Bridge of Sighs at night to the Sala di Censori. From there, he stole the Madonna col bambino painting. This painting was a symbol of the Venetian state's power. The police recovered the painting on November 7, 1991.
Palace Influences Around the World
The Doge's Palace has inspired many buildings in other countries.
Azerbaijan
The Ismailiyya building in Baku, Azerbaijan, looks like the Doge's Palace. It is now used by the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
Romania
The Central rail station in Iași, built in 1870, was also modeled after the Doge's Palace. It has a central section with five arches and curved stone pillars.
United Kingdom
Many buildings in the United Kingdom from the 1800s copied the palace's architecture. Examples include:
- the Wool Exchange, Bradford
- the Wedgwood Institute, Burslem
- the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
- the Templeton's Carpet Factory, Glasgow
These buildings were influenced by the ideas of John Ruskin, who wrote a book called The Stones of Venice in the 1850s.
United States
1800s Imitations
The Montauk Club in Park Slope, Brooklyn (1889) has parts that look like the palace. The Bush Street Temple in San Francisco, built in 1895, has a facade that is a copy of the Doge's Palace, made from painted redwood. The outside of the Chicago Athletic Association building (1893) is also based on the Doge's Palace.
1900s Imitations
The Hall of Doges at Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington copies the ornate Gothic style of the Doge's Palace. The front of the building is also copied at the Italy Pavilion in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The palace is also copied at The Venetian, Las Vegas and The Venetian Macao resorts.
2000s Imitations
The Doge's Palace was recreated in the 2009 video game, Assassin's Creed II. In the game, the main character, Ezio Auditore, flies into the palace to stop a plot.
Images for kids
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View of Doge's Palace, Campanile and San Marco Square from the Grand Canal. ca. 1870–1890
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The interior of the Doge's Palace taken around 1900.
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A "Lion's Mouth" postbox for anonymous denunciations at the Doge's Palace.
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See also
- List of buildings and structures in Venice
