The Doge Palace (pronounced doh-j) is one of Venice’s most iconic landmarks and a must see for anyone visiting the city.
The Doge Palace is located in San Marco’s square in the centre of Venice and was the residence of the Doge who was the elected head of state of the Venetian Republic. The Doge was the highest official of the republic for over 1,000 years from the 8th to the 18th Century and the Palace was built to display the wealth and power of the Venetian Republic.
The word ‘doge’ comes from Venetian Italian and means ‘duke’ and was the title of an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states during the medieval and renaissance periods.
The Palace is built in Venetian gothic style and inside the art, architecture, ornate craftsmanship and grandeur of the building is truly spectacular. A wonderful display of Venetian history from intricate sculptures and golden staircases to a large armoury display with over two thousand weapons, shields, banners and war relics.
The Doge Palace also holds one of the largest paintings in the world – Il Paradiso by Tintoretto is a massive 22 x 9 metre oil painting on canvas that dominates the main hall of the Doge’s Palace.
When is it open?
The Palace is open from 9am to 7pm with the last entrance at 6pm. It is open all year round excluding Dec 25 and Jan 1.
There are ‘special evening timings’ from around May to Sept every Friday and Saturday where the Palace is open from 9am to 11pm.
How much do the tickets cost?
Standard skip the line self guided tickets, with flexible entrance times and an audio guide, are from £25 / €30 / $31 and its advised to book online in advance to avoid the queues. A guided circa 1hr tour starts from £46 / €56 / $59 and will give you in-depth information on the history and dramas of the Palace from over the centuries.
Not only was the Palace a residence and government buildings it also had courts and prisons which can be visited as part of the tour and it was from the Piombi prison that romantic hero and adventurer Giacomo Casanova famously escaped in 1756.
How long should I allow?
From 1-3 hours depending on whether you want to whiz through the palace or take your time to appreciate the art and architecture.
When is the best time to go?
April to May and September to October are the best times of the year to visit the Palace as there are less tourists in the city and the weather is pleasant. During peak times of the year June to August the Palace will be busy so morning and evening visits will be best if you’re visiting the city then.
Can I walk over the Bridge of Sighs?
Yes, as part of the tour you can walk over the Bridge of Signs which was built in 1600 and is the link over the Rio di Palazzo canal between the Palace and the ‘New Prison’.
It was named the Bridge of Sighs as prisoners who would walk across the bridge to be imprisoned would look out the windows to the majestic Grand Canal, and sigh. Which is what you will do, but for more enjoyable reasons!
