Home Ca' Rezzonico Palazzo Labia Museo Correr Contarini del Bovolo Fenice Storico Navale Venier dei Leoni Ca' d'Oro Ca' Pesaro Fundaco dei Turchi Palazzo Grassi
Doges Palace
The Doge's Palace was the
seat of government of the former Venetian Republic.
The principal facades of the palace overlook the San Marco Piazetta to
the west and the San Marco Basin to the south.
The northern side of the palace adjoins Saint Mark's Cathedral while the
eastern side runs parallel to the Rio del Palazzo, a narrow and rather
dinghy canal most notable for the Bridge of Sighs which connects the
Doge's Palace to the former prison on the opposite bank.
The first building on the site, a wooden stockade complete with watch
towers drawbridge and moat, was constructed in 814 AD. It was razed to
the ground during a civil uprising in 976 AD. The second fort was also
destroyed by fire.
By the early 14th century Venice had consolidated its power and was no
longer in constant danger of invasion. A magnificent palace, in keeping
with the city's new found wealth, was therefore considered more
appropriate than a fort.
The palace was constructed in two distinct phases. The eastern wing, on
the Rio del Palazzo, was constructed between 1301-40 while the western
wing, on the Piazetta, was added between 1340 and 1450.
The Piazetta facade of the
Doge's Place: GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or later
It is obvious that the
palace was constructed in two distinct stages since the windows on the
eastern section of the southern waterfront facade are on a different
level than those belonging to the western section.
The necessity for two distinct phases of construction is explained by
the execution of the first architect, Filippo Calendario, for treason in
1355. He had supported an attempted coup by Doge Marino Faliero.
The architectural style of the Doge's Palace is unique. Commonly
referred to as Venetian Gothic, it adapts northern Gothic styles to
Venetian geographic conditions. Tall arches, steeples and towers were
prone to subsidence. Therefore, low squat structures, incorporating many
typical and often exaggerated Gothic features, were preferred.
The principal facades, overlooking the Piazetta to the east and the San
Marco Basin to the south, each possess a lower section consisting of a
ground floor colonnade beneath an open loggia.
The bases of the columns are no longer visible in some places as the
ground has subsided. The arches and columns appear slightly lop-sided as
a result.
A large corner capital of the loggia features a sculpture of Adam and
Eve and the tree of knowledge.
This motif is repeated on many of the loggia's other capitals. The
capitals of the lower colonnade are mostly decorated with biblical and
historical scenes.
The colonnade on the Piazetta facade possesses two distinct reddish
columns between which death sentences were once pronounced. An
allegorical figure of justice, carved above one of the adjacent columns,
holds a sword in one hand and a roll of parchment in the other.
The Porta della Carta on the piazetta facade of the Doge's Palace: Photo by Radomil 26.09.2004: GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2.
The facade facing the Piazzeta
incorporates an imposing gateway, the "Porta della Carta" ("Paper
Gate"), which leads to the palace's interior courtyard.
The gate acquired its name because ordinary people were not allowed to
pass beyond it and so handed their petitions to the gatekeepers.
The gateway, completed by Bartolomeo Bon in 1438, is notable for its
intricate floral decoration and Byzantine influences.
The central plinth features marble statues of the city's emblem, the
winged lion of Saint Mark, and Francesco Foscari, who was the doge
between 1423 and 1457. The lion rests its paw on an open book whose
Latin inscription may be translated as: "Peace be with you Mark, my
Evangelist".
Interior Courtyard of the Doge's Palace showing the eastern classical facade, and the mixture of classical and Gothic styles on the northern facade
Detail of the northern facade of the interior courtyard. Photo by Maria Schnitzmeier GNU Free Documentation License Version 1.2 or later
The interior courtyard
presents a mixture of styles. The eastern classical facade, which was
rebuilt following fire damage in the mid-16th century, contrasts with
the mixture of Gothic and renaissance styles presented by the other
facades.
The eastern facade incorporates a flight of stairs, known as the "Scala
dei giganti", which lead to the Doge's private quarters on the second
floor. The stairway acquired its name because of the two huge adjacent
statues of Mars and Neptune by Jacopo Sansovino (1565).
Many of the palace's interior rooms are richly stuccoed; their upper
walls and ceilings are also decorated with magnificent works of art. The
Chancellery, naval and censor's officers are located on the ground
floor. The doge's private apartments and the Grand Council Chamber are
on the second floor.
The Sala del Collegio, where foreign ambassadors were received, is
located on the third floor. It contains the portraits of several doges
and the famous picture of the Battle of Lepanto by Paolo Veronese. The
Council of Ten, the government ministers who often numbered more than
ten, used to meet on the third floor near the Bussola Chamber, the room
where citizens could submit complaints against officials.
The palace also contains am armoury and a map room which are open to the
public.
The Grand Council Chamber is the largest and most spectacular room.
Located on the second floor it is 54 metres in length and runs almost
the entire length of the southern waterfront facade.
This vast chamber was formerly the meeting place of the one thousand or
so nobles who comprised the ruling elite of the Venetian Republic.
Detail of Paradise by Tintoretto, Doge's Palace, Venice
The full width of the back
wall of the chamber is covered by the world's largest oil-on-canvass,
Tintoretto's "Paradise", completed in 1577 after a fire had destroyed
previous paintings by Titian, Bellini and others.
The Grand Council elected the Doge and appointed the senate exclusively
from the ranks of the nobility as represented by the Grand Council.
The Grand Council usurped most of the powers formerly held by the
General Assembly (of all free men) which no longer met after the 13th
century. An illusion of democracy was, however, preserved by permitting
the general populace to vote in referendums and to veto the election of
doges.
The aristocracy consolidated its power by closing its ranks in 1297.
Thereafter, ambitious men were unable to achieve noble status by
purchasing titles until the 18th century when funds were desperately
required to fight the Turkish wars.
The basement of the Doge's Palace contains several prison cells which
housed prisoners during their interrogation and trial. Giacomo Casanova,
the palace's most famous former prisoner, escaped from one of these
cells in 1756.
Bridge of Sighs © Barbara Johnson - FOTOLIA
The eastern wing of the palace is connected by the Bridge of Sighs to the prison on the opposite bank of the Rio del Palazzo. The bridge, constructed around 1600, only acquired its world famous name during the late 18th century when Lord Byron romantically recounted the sound of condemned prisoner's sighs.
Contact Sitemap User Conditions
© 2006-2010 LACT Limited. All rights reserved