Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale), Venice — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Doge's Palace is one of the most magnificent Gothic buildings in the world, standing on the waterfront of St Mark's Square in Venice. For nearly 900 years, it was the seat of Venetian power, the residence of the Doge, and the administrative heart of one of history's most remarkable republics. The palace has roots going back to the 9th century, but the building you see today is largely the result of construction between the 14th and 15th centuries. The exterior is a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic: an arcade of pointed arches at ground level, a loggia of quatrefoil tracery above, and walls of pink and white marble that seem to glow in the Venetian light. Inside, the chambers are decorated with works by Tintoretto, Veronese, and other Venetian masters. The Great Council Chamber, where the Venetian parliament met, contains Tintoretto's "Paradise," one of the largest oil paintings in the world. The palace is connected to the New Prisons across the canal by the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri), named for the sighs of prisoners who caught their last glimpse of Venice through its windows. Among the famous prisoners held here was Giacomo Casanova, who managed to escape in 1756 through the roof. The last Doge was deposed when Napoleon conquered Venice in 1797. The palace became a museum in 1923. If you're on a Questo quest through Venice, the Doge's Palace is a stop where beauty and power, justice and imprisonment, share the same address.