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This place is immense and absolutely stunning - from the grand halls to the incredible artwork, every detail blows you away. I especially loved the prison area. It's eerie but fascinating to see where prisoners were held and imagine the stories behind those walls. Crossing the Bridge of Sighs is a must, too.
The Palazzo Ducale is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks in Venice. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, and the supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice. The massive ceilings are impressive, and the visit to the prisons are interesting too. I recommend spending at least two hours here, or possibly half a day if you'd like checking more thoroughly.
When looking up things to do in Venice, this was one of the top places suggested to visit. Admission wasn't steep, and it's not as crowded. No air conditioning, just lots of fans and open windows. There was so much to view in here and so much history. We didn't follow a tour but still had a great time walking around. There are so many levels of the prisons to walk through. You even walk through the Bridge of Sighs here!
Everybody says that the Ducal Palace is a must when visiting Venice and in some ways it is. Most people want to say that they were able to see it. But is it worth it? In my opinion, not really. I wasn't overly impressed. Don't get me wrong, architecturally it is a masterpiece and you can get a real sense for the grandeur of the place from the outside. I was hoping that on the inside it would have been set up in the way that it was while the dukes were living there - that you'd be able to see bedrooms furnished, dining rooms, kitchens, throne rooms etc. but it doesn't look anything like that. It's a series of large empty rooms with beautiful frescos but no sense of what it was like as a working palace. It was thoroughly disappointing for that reason. I was more impressed by the Correr across the street. But, I can say that I went and I don't regret it. The line for the toilet is longer than the line to get in! I did like the dungeons.
Another of the must see items in San Marcos Square. The Doge's (I wonder what one of the most powerfull men in the world at the time of their reign would make of them being a meme crypto currency today?) Palace was at one time the center of powerful empire. Both palace, meeting hall, seat of government, and jail it is quite spread out and I would plan on spending several hours here to even scratch the surface. The highly ornate rooms coupled with the art makes for an interesting comparison to the bleakness of the jail areas. Pretty sure you 100% wanted to be a guest of the former. Aside from that it is a typical palace. We did not go as part of a group rather just me and my son wandering about. I would highly advise getting tickets ahead of your visit as the lines were crazy long most of the times we walked by. Also for me at least it was alot like driving down PCH 1 South of Big Sur, it get a bit repetitive "Oh look yet another ornate room with huge paintings" but still worth a visit. The cafe is covered in a separate review
An amazing amazing palace. So much to see and take in. Hires a private tour guide for 4 hours. The PERFECT thing to spend your money on. She knew the history and was an archeology and art history major. The history of the palace and the people is rich with intrigue and stories of resilience. Take a tour, go by yourself. Hire a guide. It really doesn't matter but you must go and enjoy this other worldly place.
The Doge's Palace was our highlight today. Our ticket also gave us access to 3 other museums. The entry line went quickly and we were inside enjoying the art and learning a bit about the government of Venice. The Doge played a large role in the history of Venice so it's definitely something you should try and see. The art and opulence of the rooms were a stark contrast to the jail nearby. You get to walk the bridge of sighs and imagine what it must have been like for prisoners at that time. Loved the architecture and learning more about the history of Venice.
As with most of Venice the Doge's palace is very beautiful and not to be missed. it is very large so please allow yourself several hours to see it. if you pay extra for the "secret tour" you will get to see parts of the palace that others cannot like the torture chamber and the prison cell were Casanova was kept (and the story of his escape). in the courtyard you will find a small cafe with adequate meals and a very well kept bathroom. Come la maggior parte di Venezia, il Palazzo Ducale è molto bello e da non perdere. è molto grande quindi per favore concediti diverse ore per vederlo. se paghi un extra per il "tour segreto" potrai vedere parti del palazzo che ad altri non piacciono: la camera delle torture e la cella della prigione dove fu tenuto Casanova (e la storia della sua fuga). nel cortile troverete un piccolo bar con pasti adeguati e un bagno molto ben tenuto.
Do the secret itineraries tour at the Doge's Palace! The 5 stars are all for that. You get to go behind the scenes in the prison where Casanova and other notables were held. You go down secret passageways. Our tour guide spoke English well and she was funny. Sorry-not sorry that I'm not into artwork and you don't get to see the personal side of the Doge's Palace, like the bedrooms, or anything like that.
Doge Palace is a must-see attraction in Venice. It is a beautiful palace, but palaces and museums do start blending together especially on a big Europe trip. I recommend buying a timed-entry ticket online in advance. To be honest, the thing I remember the most from this palace was the absurdly long restroom lines. There was a bathroom attendant with a whole cordoned area for the line, which is kind of hilarious.
Between Basilica di San Marco and the waterfront at Piazza San Marco awaits this stunning, must-see Venetian landmark. It's known as Doge's Palace in English and justifiably hailed as 5 stars by Yelp elite because Palazzo Ducale is the finest palace in one of the world's truly transcendent cities. Study up on Wikipedia, prepare at the visitmuve.it site, and watch some YT vids if you WANT ... or don't ... and just go ... cause Doge's Palace has been awesome since construction began in 1340 ... or when it became a museum 99 years ago (in 1923) ... or whenever Dogecoin came into existence. Palazzo Ducale is still awesome today with everything you'd expect representing the best of Venice on display. The wealth. The power. The art. The huge giant art. The gothic architecture. The lavish style. The prison. The Bridge of Sighs. The courtyard. The history. It's all at Palazzo Ducale. Tips: * Open: 10:00a - 6:00p * Admission: €25 * Discounts for locals, students, & families * Secret Itinerary: €28 * Multi-museum pass: €35 * Audioguide: €5 * Self-guided tours: 1 - 6 hours * Museum cafe: small * Bookstore: a-ok Highlights: * The entrance courtyard & Senator's Courtyard * Museo dell'Opera (famous facade & columns) * La Scala d'Oro (aka the Golden Staircase w/24k gold) * Sala del Senato (the senate chamber) * The Tintorettos (the famous Tintoretto paintings) * Sala degli Scarlatti (men in scarlet room) * Sala dello Scudo (room with the coat of arms) * Sala delle Mappe (room with gigantic maps) * Hall dei Filosofi (Philosophers Hall) * Sala dello Scrigno (The Coffer Room) * Sala del Maggior Consiglio (Hall of the Great Council) * Sale dell'Armeria (Armory museum) * The prisons (Giacomo Casanova escaped from here) * Ponte dei Sospiri (walk inside the Bridge of Sighs) * The special visiting art exhibitions
Doge's Palace is a palace, court, and connected to jail house. This palace residence is a powerful Doge of Venice. He has supreme authority like a king. The person who found guilty will be the resident of next door jail house. The palace is beautiful. It connected bu bridge of sigh to the prison next door. The criminal who found guilty take the last breath walk through the bridge and has a sigh because this is last time they see sunlight through the bridge and sigh. That why call bridge of sigh. The palace has series of arc. It look spectacular outwardly. The welcome stair way is well decorated on the ceilings and side. You may want to paid attention to the ceilings and the floor tile. They are beautiful. The great hall use for party and gathering. The interior courtyard overlooking the St. Mark Basilica. One tip. Buy the combo ticket at Correr Museum. When you come to visit the Doge's Palace is a fast past since you already has the ticket. So visit Correr museum first because the line is shorter.
The Doge's Palace is a must see when in Venice. It is at the center of the local history and had a huge presence in the country's history and international platforms also. It's rooms are pleasant, regal and even mysterious. When stepping through the palace doors, you feel as if you've stepped back in time. We stood in line for around 20 minutes and were able to buy our tickets at the door. The line for this is much faster than getting in St. Mark's. There were a few different ticket options. It is best to select the one that gives admission to several museums in Venice. It costs the same price as the regular admission. Interpretation devices run around 5 euro each. They are worth the investment in order to get the most out of your visit. Enjoy.
The best aspect about Venezia is that everywhere in the historic city is a photogenic surprise, but there are two buildings that are worth entering, one of which is Palazzo Ducale. Of course, what palace in Venezia is more extravagant than the ruling palace? Behind the ornate facade is the residence of the Doge, the ruling elder of the Venetian Republic. However, contrary to popular belief, the Venetian Doge was at best a figure head because the ruling powers actually were spread throughout many councils. Hence, Palazzo Ducale also hosts many offices for the many councils, with each room filled with beautiful paintings that fitted with the various themes! Because of a devastating fire, Palazzo Ducale had to reconstructed - fortunately during the peak of both the Venetian wealth and talents. The result was the massive collaboration among stars like Titian and Veronese who filled every room with paintings and sculptures - some of which are so beautiful that each of them could easily be a headliner piece in any major art museum! Even if you speed through every room, you'll still be dazzled by the beauty and the extravagance that differ room by room. If you book the Doge's Apartment tour, you can see the private extravagance of the Doge residence. However, the most impressive room has to be the main hall, Sala del Maggior Consiglio (Hall of the Great Council). Topped with Tintoretto's unbelievable "Last Judgement", this is Venezia's largest room, which is said to be hold up to 20000 noblemen who must convene every Sunday after a mass in San Marco! It is simply a true testament to the former greatness of the Serenissima Repubblica. But don't leave Palazzo Ducale without seeing the gritty part of it. Cross the famous Ponte dei Sospori (Bridge of Sighs) and you will enter the much less glamorous prisons, which are certainly a far cry from the beauty that you just left behind. Let's just say the ruling Venetians were brutal, but if you want to see more, the Secret Itineraries tour that take you to the even more cruel prisons will satisfy you. Anyway, the Institutional Rooms for the "vanilla" admission to Palazzo Ducale can easily take at least an hour to walk through and up to a whole day if you are truly into every masterpiece in this endless gallery! Regardless of how much time you have in Venezia though, this is a palace that you cannot miss! --- ENTERING PALAZZO DUCALE The most basic admission is the combined San Marco Museum ticket for €19, which also includes the less-popular Museo Correr, Archaeological Museum, and Biblioteca Marciana. Unfortunately, you cannot buy only the Palazzo Ducale admission. Reduction for student or youth (through Rolling Venice Card) is available for €12 though. Especially during high season, online booking via Venezia Unica or the official website is recommended so you can bypass the ticket office line. If you wish to see more of Palazzo Ducale, considering booking through the official website either the Doge's Apartment or the Secret Itineraries (for more prisons) tour for exclusive access. Either tour will allow you to stay within Palazzo Ducale as long as you want afterwards. The entrance is toward the lagoon, near Ponte dei Sospori. --- tl;dr version: 1) One of the only two must-enter buildings in Venezia 2) So many arts that it'll take forever to see! 3) See both the beautiful grandeur of the ruling chambers and the gritty darkness of the prisons 4) Book a tour to see the exclusive area read more
8 years ago
The Doge's Palace (it: Palazzo Ducale) is one of Venice's major landmarks. Along with St. Mark's Basilica it is the most prominent building in Piazza San Marco and the two combined make up the "must-sees" of any itinerary covering the city. It is the premier example of a building made in the Venetian Gothic style (arched windows) made with blocks of Istrian stone and red Verona marble. The building connects to the prisons via the famous Bridge of Sighs. If you take a water taxi or Alilaguna from the airport it's one of the most impressive sights of your boat ride. Which begs the question: so what the heck is a doge? Although the doge was technically the duke of Venice, in reality he was the most senior elected official that acted as a head of state. He was elected in a convoluted process involving all the nobility in the state (around 2000 males) so as to ensure fairness in the selection. A figurehead, he took part in all state celebrations and government functions while various councils took part in the actual governing of the state. While a doge was elected for life, various measures were enacted to reduce the possibly of corruption such as the inability to name your successor or to leave the palace without permission - and even then only on specific state functions. In fact the doge didn't even have a salary; much of his expenses he had to cover out of pocket. To make sense of this building unless you've done extensive research or are a history buff it's best to book a guided tour. There's plenty of third-party companies that offer such tours but the official site only offers one tour: the Secret Itineraries. At €20.50, you get to not only skip the line, you get to access areas normally off-limits to the general public. A tour guide assigned by the actual site will guide you through the historical significance of the building as well as the adjoining prison including the cell where Casanova was said to be held. Keep in mind that the tour sells out fast; tickets can sell out weeks in advance. Also like the Colosseum, the Secret Itineraries tour can only be given by official tour guides employed by the Doge's Palace so any third-party site that offers a Secret Itineraries tour will have quite a significant markup. Tickets can be bought 120 days prior to date of visit. My Secret Itineraries tour went well. Even though it was hard to understand my tour guide due to her thick accent, I was able to understand the historical significance of everything about the doge and government life in the Venetian Republic. She also did her best to entertain her group that included Americans spanning 4 different generations. My only nitpick was that the tour ends right at the start of the Institutional Chambers, which is the starting point of the areas open to the public. Unless you know your history, be prepared to do a lot of reading of the placards installed at many of the site's rooms. The second part contains the rooms open to the public. Public rooms of the Doge's Palace include the following: 1. Courtyard - The most prominent features include the Giants' Staircase flanked by statues of Mars and Neptune. This was reserved for more formal entrances. - The historical entrance to the palace, the Porta della Carta now serves as the official exit. - The wings of the palace were constructed at different times due to the various fires that broke out. 2. Doge's Apartments. The official private apartment of the doge. Not open during my visit due to the dismantling of another exhibition. 3. Institutional Chambers. The bulk of your sightseeing will be focused in the three floors of rooms. These rooms provided the center of activity of Venetian government life. The most important rooms involved the Chamber of the Great Council where all the Venetian nobility over 25 would meet as well as the meeting places of the Council of Forty (responsible for legislative and judicial affairs) and the Council of Ten (precursor to the FBI). Owing to the Venetian's distrust of a single person in power most decisions were made through these councils with the doge serving a seat at each council. 4. Old and New Prisons. The old prison was located right below the palace and housed common criminals. The conditions were harsh for inmates. Political prisoners and those with VIP status were housed in the new prisons housed adjacent to the Doge's Palace connected via the Bridge of Sighs. One can easily get lost navigating through the two prisons. For those not doing a tour, a €20 combo-ticket allows you access to several museums including the Museum Correr. This can be purchased online or if in Venice, purchased outside the Museum Correr to prevent line-wating at the Doge's Palace. It is highly suggested to purchase your ticket before arriving in Venice to maximize your time in the city. The Doge's Palace is a not-to-be-missed attraction. A Yelp review shouldn't have to convince you to visit it otherwise! read more
11 years ago
Palazzo ducale or Doges Palace as its popularly called is located in san marco square. Entry is €18. You can get an audio guide for 5 euros but not required. The ticket includes entry to the Doges palace, the basilica, and a museum. The doges palace entry basically gives you entry to the palace. You enter a courtyard and see a staircase leading up. You can't go up this staircase. But if you walk to the right, the entry takes you up the golden staircase. A gorgeous staircase with beautiful embellishments and ceiling artwork. The staircase takes you to a cartography room that contains early and more recent maps of Venice. The maps are really intricate and show the lagoon, the salt marshes, and even trees and the mountains. There is even a video with English commentary and subtitles that describes how the land in and around Venice have changed and how the Doges family made changes to the land and water sources. The next room shows the trade routes in and out of Venice with the city being an exporter of salt. The next few rooms are council rooms that show rooms where the senate (great council, the council of 10 and the council of 40) made decisions. All of these rooms have artwork depicting Jesus, Venus, and other religious images. They serve as warnings to remind the council to rule in favour of justice rather than self interest. You are then led to the armoury rooms which are very impressive. There is body armour, shields, various guns, spears, quivers, flame guns, gun powder boxes, and even a chastity belt. Most of the armory have intricate carvings/painting on it. Definitely my favourite room. You then go downstairs into the prison cells. Obviously they are empty. Some of them contain wooden beds. The doges palace has marble flooring and in Venetian winter it is far colder than the outside. Proof is the doges palace staff all seated around portable heaters refusing to budge. Definitely the most informative and interesting palace I've been to. You need at least 2 hours to see the whole palace. Go early in the morning to avoid queues. read more
14 years ago
TL;DR? Worth a visit. The scoop? Buy your ticket at one of the OTHER St. Mark's square museums. It is a combined ticket (or if it isn't you can/ should get one) and there are no lines... where the line outside the Doge's Palace was huge. Once inside they don't allow pictures (which is crap), but the place is pretty big and has some nice rooms. If you're into palaces and things this place is a must. If you've been to Versailles and similar places already and had you're fill you could skip this place without feeling like you missed much. read more
Beautiful palace with amazing chambers internally and the opulence is awe inspiring. At €16 per person it is a bit expensive to enter and there are many areas that are closed off. Lots of areas internally also do not permit photography :-( Built and restored after the fires in late 16th century this is a palace well worth visiting if nothing else to see first hand the opulence and excess of the times. Beautiful ceilings and frescoes, weapons rooms, beautiful marble columns and extreme opulence are all key aspects of this palace. I loved it and I am sure you will too. read more
8 years ago
18 years ago
I'll be completely honest, even at the risk of sounding like a blonde idiot - I have seen this building SO MANY times in films and even in Vegas [granted, that one was small and made of cardboard and plaster]... that it was VERY hard to believe that THIS IS REAL. It's actually MUCH more beautiful and impressive in life than on film. I don't have to say -GO SEE IT, because you will not be able to avoid it. :) read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
Stunning museum! I bought the pass to see four museums with one ticket so I wouldn't have to worry about standing in line. I went here on a Tuesday and it was not crowded. Maybe we got lucky and came here when there wasn't so many cruise ships. Either way, this is worth a visit read more
9 years ago
8 years ago
Part of the Royal Palace tour too many fantastic different areas to see this is only a part of it read more
9 years ago
8 years ago
I was so impressed with Doge's Palace (that is the street name for this place). The old seat of government, these crazy bastards were vicious but they ruled for 700 years and this place shows how well they lived. The ceilings are ridiculous, how is it possible to get such incredible detail and use so much gold with intricate carvings as far as the eye can see? Every room, tons of rooms. I realize this is not a religious place, so they were merely ingratiating themselves, the stories of victory, the dominance of their time, and I think corrupt. But the palace is spectacular anyway!!! We purchased for 5 euros the audio tour, which you turn on when you walk into the right room and it tells you story. So many great stories! I loved learning about this unique history and was completely amazed by the grandeur. The walk of sighs is a must - showing the contrast of ruler to prisoner. It feels like you walked into this place a day after they left it, very awesome!!!! Also located in St Mark's square, the largest in Venezia and impressive all to itself. Do not miss this place if you are in the area and carve out at least 2-3 hours to truly enjoy it. read more
9 years ago
We were very excited to walk through the Palace and see the chambers, however it was pretty unclear at first where to go and how to get around. I prefer not to do a guided tour when possible, because I like to look at my own pace, but maybe we should have since the signage is fairly minimal downstairs regarding where one should go. I thought some of the rooms were absolutely breathtaking and the armory and prisons were definitely really impressive. This is not something I'd necessarily take small children to. I saw many stressed parents dragging their children through regal rooms and I can't blame the kids - it was hot and there's not much there that caters to children. However, if you want to look at some breathtaking rooms and murals, I highly recommend. Don't be deterred by the line. It moved really fast and there's a great youth and student discount! read more
11 years ago
9 years ago
Been to so many museums and church's in Italy. This is not one of the best. Some cool artwork and stuff but nothing spectacular. It is a quick walk through. read more
A Magnificat structure. It is located on San Marco Square next to San Marco Basilica and there is a Piazza with plenty of shops and places to eat. It's a 45 minute walk from Piazza Roma. Plenty of pigeons if you want to feed the pigeons or if you just want to take some amazing pictures and it goes out to the sea read more
14 years ago
12 years ago
I admit, my mind couldn't escape the constant jokes about the name Doge's Palace. Palazzo Ducale sounds a lot better, but to many others, including Wikipedia, it's known as the palace of Doge. I kept imagining the paintings inside featuring a Shiba Inu dog with humorous subtitles in comic sans. Yes, Doge is also the name for an Italian chief of state, but I'm an ignorant Canadian, crucify me for having a little fun. But to respect the location, I'll refer to it as the Palazzo Ducale for here on. Regardless what you call it, most tourists probably haven't heard of the Palazzo Ducale. I certainly never did. When you think about St. Mark's Square, it's not the first location which comes to mind. Some readers may correct me, saying the Palazzo Ducale isn't technically part of the square. It's close enough, and you'd regret skipping it. This was one of those moments (few they were) where the Globus tour really scored. If the exterior didn't amaze you, it's got nothing on what you'll find inside--some of the most incredible rooms I've ever walked through. Even without the corner-to-corner paintings, the Palazzo Ducale is a sight to see. And the best part is, you can take photos until your camera runs dry. The only request they make is to avoid using the flash. I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating--the idea that flash photography can damage paint is complete and utter balderdash. At least here, they don't enforce the issue, and you can take photos as long as the flash is suppressed. If you're even a decent photographer, you've probably already done so (RIGHT?). The Chamber of the Great Council--which I admit sounds like something you'd find at Hogwarts--boasts to be one of the largest rooms in all of Europe. Our tour guide claimed it topped the list. It's big certainly, 53 meter long in fact. I guess that depends on what defines a room; I mean what are the parameters? Walls and a roof? And what makes it big, square footage? It can't be volume as the roof isn't particularly high. Wouldn't a stadium be bigger? What about an airplane construction facility? I did a five-minute web search and found nothing separating a "room" from any other enclosed space. So yeah, claiming the Chamber of the Great Council as the largest room reads a little flimsy. They didn't even put an asterisk on it, just "largest room". It took me twenty seconds to walk end to end. If they claimed it was the most lavish room in all Europe, a loftier declaration, I'd actually believe it. I stood there for so long, admired for such a time, that the earbud snuggled millimeters from my drum fell to static, informing me that my tour had long vacated the room and moved on. Without a doubt, the Palazzo Ducale is best tourist spot around St. Mark's Square and a must-see if in Venice. read more
14 years ago
Doge's Palace opened earlier than the Basilica, so I took advantage of my strange penchant for early morning jogs and popped in for a visit. The palace was really beautiful, my favorite parts were the pieces of the old "Il Paradiso" fresco and the newer one... But in fact all the frescoes were really impressive. The art and walking across the bridge of sighs were the definite highlights. I managed to get ahead of the tours and sneak some photos on my iPhone in the prisons and on the bridge, so cool! If you go, go early and get away from the crowds, walking through the prisons alone was really fun! read more
11 years ago
13 years ago
18 years ago
16 years ago
If you come here, you should definitely do the walking tour explained by someone. You get to go to the forbidden parts of the palace including the torture chambers, the jails, the areas where the political figures met and all the nooks and crannies throughout the entire place. An explanation of the stories makes this experience so much richer. I quite enjoyed it. Gives you a real sense of what it must've been like centuries ago when you have some context to go with it. read more
14 years ago
8 years ago
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