It's one of the monuments most characteristic of the city of canals. No one who has been in Venice escape the mysterious charm of the Ducal Palace. An exquisite sample of the Gothic architecture of the XIV and XV centuries.
Located next to Saint Mark's Square, the Palazio Ducale, in Italian, it is a gem worth admiring. It was the residence of the Doges, seat of government and prison from Venice. If you decide to visit it inside, you will be captivated by its rooms decorated in the style of the time.
Gothic architecture masterpiece
Before being the palace that we know today, it was a fortified castle from the 11th century that was destroyed in a fire. The current palace was built in the XIV and XV centuries, and was innovative for the time, since the architects who designed it broke with the construction tradition prevailing support the palace on stone arcades.
The building, made of pink Veronese marble, has architectural elements of great beauty, such as the giants staircase, in its inner courtyard, which was only used in ceremonial acts. It was the place where the dukes were crowned. The main entrance to the palace was the Porta Della Carta, from the XV century. From there starts a corridor that reaches the foscarini bow, a triumphal arch that overlooks the courtyard.
The Bridge of Sighs
One of the elements of the Ducal Palace that arouses the most interest in visitors is the Bridge of Sighs, perhaps the most famous from Venice and, surely, the most photographed. It was built in the 17th century and is from Baroque style. It linked the Ducal Palace with the prison of the Inquisition, above the Di Palazzo river. It owes its name to sighs that the condemned threw from the bridge when they saw the sky for the last time.
Venice, Italy: The Doge's Palace (April 2024)
- Palaces, Venice
- 1,230
