Palazzo Ducale

There is no way to cover the Ducal Palace in a few words and pictures.   It served as the seat of government for seven centuries, and is huge.  It sits seaward of St. Mark's Cathedral, so as you come into the area of St. Mark's Square it is the first building you notice.  The original burned down in 1577 and was rebuilt in white stone and pink marble.

 

La Scala d'Oro (the Golden Staircase) leads up into chambers filled with artwork and statuary.  That's 24 carat gilt stucco on the ceiling.

Normally you'd tour the Doge's Apartment, but they had a very interesting temporary exhibit that included 3D  presentations about the hydrologic history of the Venetian lagoon.  The maps and globes on this level showed the extent of Venetian power and their knowledge of the world through the centuries.

Sala de Maggiore Consiglio - the Grand Council Room
 

The tour take you through some of the "institutional" areas, including senate chambers, courtrooms, armory, and a grand council hall that is more than 240 feet long. 


Every room's walls and ceilings are filled with paintings -- by  such greats as Titian, Tintoretto, and Bosch.   Tintoretto's Paradiso in the council hall is said to contain the portraits of 500 prominent Venetians, including many of the artist's patrons.  There's even a wall of portraits of the Doges that has one black space representing a Doge who lost his head for treason in 1355.









Tintoretto's Creation of the Animals

The Council Room is on the second floor (if you count ground, first second).  Just north of that room is one half it's size that provides a great view down into the courtyard.

After the senatorial rooms, the tour led through the armory, with its eclectic collections of weapons and armor.  Wherever the Venetian merchants went, they came home with examples of the best armaments that were available.


The tour finishes in the courtrooms, and then we crossed the Bridge of Sighs into the prison.  

looking down at the top of the bridge of sighs

the last glimpse of freedom from the bridge.

The jail had many famous prisoners, including Casanova -- who, it is said, escaped via the attic.  Scott escaped down the stairs.