The main entrance to the Doge's palace is the one called the Porta della Carta, that Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon built in the flamboyant Gothic style, between 1438 and 1443. It was once painted in blue, red and gold. The figure of Doge Francesco Foscari is shown kneeling before the Winged Lion, but the one seen today is a copy of the original, which was destroyed at the time of the fall of the Republic.

Unfortunately, the group I was with did not want to spend money on museums and were reluctant to let me go by myself (however, they were perfectly fine for wandering the backstreets of Rome late at night, anyway...), so I did not get to really go to any of the great museums and historic sights; however, I did get a great picture, and I researched some info so that when I go back or if anyone else was interested, they could be prepared!

March-October daily 9am-5:30pm; November-February daily 9am-5pm. Admission €11 adults

The Doge's Palace was the seat of the government of Venice for centuries. In addition to being the Doge’s home, it housed the law courts, civil administration and bureaucracy and the jail. It is a repository of the history of Venice, architecturally, artistically and historically.

We basically wander around trying to see everything. I am particularly fascinated by what I learn about the governing system of Venice. It was a republic that operated as an oligarchy. A vast bureaucracy of elected civil servants, committees and councils was presided over by the only figure elected for life, the doge. The system of elected doges lasted for over 1000 years, from 697 to 1789. Interestingly, a really incompetent or evil duke would not last very long. He would just happen to die sooner than he would have from natural causes so the leaders could choose a more suitable candidate. The most famous example is Marino Faliero, the 55th doge. He was appointed in 1354 and by 1355 was plotting a coup to declare himself prince. When he was caught he pleaded guilty, was beheaded, mutilated and all traces of him were expunged from history and memory. His place among the paintings of the 76 doges in the Hall of the Great Council is empty, covered by a black veil.

The first version of the palace was raised in the ninth century but it wasn’t until 1340 that the present building really took shape. Work continued until 1438 when the last piece, the grand entrance was finished. Work on the palace has never really stopped and even today there is a constant effort to maintain, refurbish and restore the building and its contents.

We enter through a side door, into a large courtyard. We can see there is a mix of styles, as successive doges tried to make the palace ever more magnificent. The columns surrounding the courtyard are elaborately carved. Sculptures are scattered about representing scenes from the bible. In the southwest corner there is an enormous staircase, the Scala dei Giganti, overlooked by huge statues of Neptune and Mars. This is where the Doge and his officials received visiting dignitaries.

We ascend the highly gilded "Golden Staircase" and stroll through the doge’s private and public rooms, filled with frescos by Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese and other lesser known artists. We finally reach the aforementioned Hall of the Great Council, perhaps the most magnificent room in the palace. We also visit the armory which has fascinating weapon exhibits. Descending into the building’s bowels, we cross the Bridge of Sighs, so named because it provided prisoners a last look at Venice. We explore the ‘new’ prison, built in the 17th century. Casanova is the only person known to have escaped this horrible place.

We wanted to spend more time here but we become thirsty, hungry and weary and decide to leave.

Open daily. Entry in combination with the Correr Museum: €16. Photo shooting in courtyard only.

The building is magnificent! This building was home to the ruling class of Venice for hundreds of years. It does, though, highlight one unusual aspect of life in Venice. Jump on the floors, which appear to be solid marble, and the floor seems to move. Apparently it comes from the city being built on pylons driven into the ground to provide a foundation for building on the water. A most unusual sensation.

The paintings throughout the building are magnificent as are the ceiling decorations. Unfortunately, the ceiling decorations were the end of our permission to take photos. Seems some thoughtless (and probably rather ignorant) people used flashes to take photos and this fades the paintings. Of course, the flash only has a very short range so would have done little to brighten the image. (How a flash from such a distance could affect paintings is another question.) Still, it is one of the things that you need to get used to in Europe. No photos of things that they can sell postcards of!

The Doge's Palace was one of the highlights of the Venice trip. Much more impressive than the church. The paintings gave an insight into the Venetian history.

Located in St. Mark’s Square (Vaperetto stop S. Marco). We visited the Doge’s Palace (pronounced doh-jeh) on a Sunday afternoon at about 4 p.m. There was barely a line, but there was some confusion. NOTE: there are two lines. The line to the left is for those who don’t have a ticket, the line to the right is for those that do. Once we figured that out, we walked right in and up to the ticket counter (about 20 minutes total time) to buy our 11 € ticket.

The Palace reminded me a great deal of Versailles just outside of Paris. A royal palace for the rulers of Venice. As you enter, look to your right to find the Mouth of Truth. This face was essentially a mailbox where citizens could make complaints against other citizens and recommend executions. (Anyone want to make a suggestion today? ;) ) Just past the Mouth is the entrance to the upper floors, the Golden Stairway – 24 karat on the ceiling here. As you walk through each room – some with absolutely no purpose at all, (oh to be rich) – you’re bombarded with art, beautiful sculptures, large fireplaces (you could park your car in them) and oddities such as a 24-hour clock and a zodiac clock. You’re also treated to great views of St. Mark’s basilica next door. Beware of photo taking. Whether photos are allowed or not seem to be based on whether or not the guards see you taking them. When you’re outside, taking pictures is no problem. When inside the room, it’s sort of on an ad-hoc basis.

I enjoyed seeing the palace, and getting some great pictures here (outside). If you have limited time in Venice, I would classify this as a "nice-to-see" if you have the time. If you’re spending at least two days, I’d make it a point to go in and see how Venetian royalty passed their days.

Venice undoubtedly has more than its fair share of world famous attractions. Among the most impressive of the city's renowned sights is the Doge's Palace, which refreshingly exceeded the high expectations that I had formed due to the immense reputation of the place.

The fabulous and unique building was the centre of power during the Venetian heyday, not only acting as the palace of the Doge, but also as the seat of government. The splendidly ornamented nature of the exterior not only reflects the republic's affluence and power, but combined with the lack of strong fortifications also illustrates just how secure the elite felt from internal strife and invasion.

Externally the structure is easily the finest example of the typically florid version of Gothic architecture, which has a lighter feel than the more usual examples of the style found elsewhere in Europe. The façades of the lower two storeys, which overlook the square and waterfront, feature rows of elegantly proportioned and ornate arches. In addition, a beautifully simple geometric pattern of interwoven white and pink stone covers the upper portions of the walls, further enhancing the already appealing effect.

The elaborately carved 15th century Paper Door is, now as in the glory days of the past, the main entrance to the lovely central courtyard. The Giant's Staircase, with its massive statues of Mars and Neptune, leads up to the distinctively floored galleries that overlook both the enclosed space below and the square outside.

From the first floor terrace, a fixed route through the interior starts with the ascent of an exuberant gilded internal stairway. In general terms, the second storey hosts the former residential quarters, whilst the level above is where the important governmental branches operated, and the décor of both mostly dates from a restoration undertaken during 1500s following a devastating fire. Fortunately, numerous Renaissance heavyweights, such as Carpaccio and Veronese, lived in the vicinity at the time of the disaster, and contributed a wealth of art that cover the walls and even the ceilings of the chambers, forming a magnificent display that overwhelmed my senses, and surely has had the same effect on visitors for several hundred years. There are simply too many rooms to describe in individual detail, but probably the single most amazing is the immense Hall of the Great Council, which previously hosted meetings of up to a couple of thousand patricians, and is still home to Tintoretto's Paradise, one of the largest paintings in the world.

Finally, also of note is the chance to walk through the legendary Bridge of Sighs, which is a certainly interesting experience, although far less scenic than seeing it from the outside. The romantic and evocative name is a later poetic invention based upon the imagined sounds issued by the various reprobates who would had the misfortune to make the short trip across to the prisons.