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Venice: Doge's Palace Reserved Entry Ticket
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Whether on foot from St Mark’s Square or by boat from the Grand Canal, arriving at the Doge’s Palace in Venice, is one of the most exciting travel experiences you will ever have in your life.
This thousand-year-old palace of power will reveal itself to you little by little in all its magnificence. It is impossible not to be captivated by the beauty of its elaborate facades, which mix Byzantine, Renaissance and Mannerist elements and almost seem to emerge from the waters of the lagoon. Prepare yourself, this is just the appetiser: inside, a feast of Venetian history and art awaits you.
Having survived fires, foreign domination and high water, this marvellous building is a symbol of Venetian power over the centuries.
It risked decline following the fall of the Serenissima Republic at the end of the 18th century, but was saved and has thus become a concrete testimony of how Venice is always capable of rebirth: a proud phoenix once again at the centre of the international cultural scene.
The rooms, loggias, prisons, statues, paintings and other treasures preserved in the Doge’s Palace tell of centuries of intrigues, secrets and exciting events that forged the identity of a city unique in the world. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit it during your holiday in Venice.
The Doge’s Palace consists of a U-shaped building made up of three wings built in different periods; in addition to this there are the prisons, located on another bank and connected to the main building by the Bridge of Sighs.
Its U-shape is impossible to recognise from the outside: the three façades almost look like a refined wall protecting the treasures hidden inside.
The oldest wing is the one facing St Mark’s Basin, built in its present form in the 14th century. About a century later, the one overlooking St. Mark’s Piazzetta was built, a small appendage of St. Mark’s Square that connects the main square with the lagoon. The last in chronological order of construction is the Renaissance wing, which overlooks the Rio di Palazzo canal.
The visitor route allows access to all three wings: some rooms are always open to visitors, others are only accessible by special itineraries, and others are used as offices or archives.
Let us see in detail which rooms of the Doge’s Palace are open to the public.
Once you pass through Porta del Frumento, the entrance gate to the Doge’s Palace, you will find yourself in the courtyard: from here you can admire the interior façades of the three wings of the palace; the most ornate is the Renaissance wing, which stands out for its elaborate decorations and the monumental Giants’ Staircase that was once the entrance of honour.
At the top of the staircase are the two statues of Mars and Neptune, symbolising the power of Venice over sea and land.
The Scala dei Censori (Censors’ Staircase) leads to the Piano delle Logge (Loggia Floor): from here you can walk through the three wings of the palace enjoying magnificent views of the inner courtyard and Piazzetta San Marco.
The Opera was the Serenissima’s office in charge of the palace’s maintenance: they must have had their hands full with all the renovations that were necessary over the centuries…
Six rooms on the ground floor of the wing of the palace overlooking Piazzetta San Marco now house the Opera Museum, a collection of column shafts, capitals, remains of stone walls, statues and other furnishings and decorations from the Doge’s Palace removed from their original location because they were damaged or too fragile.
The Doge’s Apartment is located in the wing of the palace adjacent to St. Mark’s Basilica and
includes both the private rooms, where the Doge would retire once his official duties were over, and the state rooms, where his public life took place.
The latter are included in the standard tour and house a permanent exhibition on the historical and iconographic evolution of the doge as well as temporary exhibitions. On display are also symbolic representations of the city of Venice on paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts and other works.
The Institutional Chambers of the Doge’s Palace include the rooms of the main governing bodies of the Serenissima Republic: the Great Council, the Senate, the College, the Council of Ten and the Quarantie. They are located on the first floor, the second floor and the Piano delle Logge. Access is generally through the Atrio Quadrato, a sumptuously decorated room that served as an antechamber.
Connected by staircases, corridors, atriums and quite a few secret passages, these rooms represented the heart of Venice’s political and administrative life; within their walls the most important decisions that determined the city’s history were made.
The largest is the Hall of the Great Council, the body that controlled the actions of all state offices to prevent abuses of power; the first phase of the doge’s election also took place in this room.
Among the room’s many rich decorations is Tintoretto’s ‘Il Paradiso’ (Paradise), a painting that stands out both for the dramatic nature of the figures depicted and for its enormous size (it is one of the largest canvases in the world).
Although they are one with the Doge’s Palace, the New Prisons are located in a building constructed on the opposite bank of the canal to the Renaissance wing of the palace. This building was constructed specifically as a state prison between the late 16th and early 18th century and represents one of the earliest examples in Europe of a uniform construction of this type.
Arranged on three floors, the cells appear larger and brighter than in other prisons of the same era, and indeed one of the aims of the construction of this new building was to improve the living conditions of prisoners. Their charm, however, is very sinister, and one wonders how grim and unhealthy the previous prisons must have been.
Access to the prisons is via the famous Bridge of Sighs. If you have already admired it from the outside, you will find it hard to believe that this narrow, dark passageway is the interior of the romantic white stone bridge in front of which lovers from all over the world exchange promises of love.
The Armoury is a complex of four rooms displaying a collection of weapons, ammunition and armour from different eras and origins. There are also relics from the wars against the Turks and instruments of torture.
Among the areas of the palace not included in the standard tour there are some that can be visited with guided tours for small groups (2 to 8 persons) by the museum.
The special tours take place at fixed times and on-demand; in both cases booking is required to participate. The price includes a qualified guide for the entire itinerary; it will then be possible to follow the normal tour of the Doge’s Palace independently.
The special itinerary “Secret Itineraries of the Doge’s Palace” takes you straight into the halls of power and offers a unique viewpoint on the civil, political and judicial history of Venice.
You will see the rooms where the most important officials carried out their administrative functions, the rooms where the trials of the Serenissima’s feared magistracy took place, and rooms of sinister charm such as the Secret Chancellery Room, where the Serenissima’s top secret documents were kept, and the Torture Room, significantly renamed the Torment Room.
The special tour ‘The Doge’s Hidden Treasures’ takes you to the places reserved for the highest authority of the Serenissima, located in the area of the palace adjacent to St Mark’s Basilica.
You will see the loggia from which the Doge used to look out during public festivities, the coffers that guarded the state treasure and the Doge’s private rooms.
The focus of this itinerary, however, are the places where he prayed privately and received his guests on non-formal occasions: these are the Doge’s Church and the Doge’s Antichiesetta, recently restored to their former glory.
Better alone or with a guide? Which ticket is best to buy? Thanks to the useful information below you will have no difficulty in organising your visit to the Doge’s Palace in Venice!
The standard ticket to visit the Doge’s Palace is a cumulative ticket called Museums of St Mark’s Square: it includes the entrance to 4 attractions (Doge’s Palace, Correr Museum, National Archaeological Museum, Monumental Rooms of the Marciana National Library).
It is valid for 3 months from the date of purchase and allows you to visit the attractions on different dates during this period; only one entry to each museum is allowed.
The Venice Museum Pass is a cumulative ticket for all the civic museums of Venice and connected venues. In addition to the attractions included in the Museums of St Mark’s Square ticket, the Plus version also includes 7 other civic museums.
Although it is valid for 6 months, we recommend the purchase of this pass only to history and art lovers who intend to make a full immersion in the museums of Venice.
City Pass Venezia Unica is the name of the official tourist card of the city of Venice. This convenient city card can be used both for public transport and for entry to the city’s main attractions.
Entrance to the Doge’s Palace is included in the standard version of the card; on some websites or tourist guides this version is indicated as Tourist City Pass or San Marco City Pass. It is possible to customise the card by adding attractions or extending its validity.
Although it is possible to visit the Doge’s Palace independently, a guided tour is strongly recommended because it is the only way to fully appreciate the rich historical and artistic heritage of this exceptional museum.
There are numerous tour operators offering guided tours of the Doge’s Palace. Group tours are cheaper, but private tours allow you to customise the experience according to the time you have available and your interests. A guided visit to the Doge’s Palace is usually included in the classic 1- or 2-day Venice tours.
The choice is very wide, but by purchasing online you can calmly evaluate all the available options and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Admiring the splendour of the Doge’s Palace in Venice can be a wonderful experience… but also a nightmare.
Here are some useful tips for visiting the Doge‘s Palace without stress.
The easiest way to reach the Doge’s Palace is on foot, as most tourists do. The palace is located a stone’s throw from St Mark’s Basilica and can be reached with a walk of about 30 minutes from Venice’s Santa Lucia train station.
If you don’t want to walk, you can take a vaporetto: the San Zaccaria stop, located right in front of the palace, is served by several lines so you can take a vaporetto to the Doge’s Palace from many points in Venice.
Public entrance is through the Porta del Frumento, located in Piazzetta San Marco. If you are arriving from San Zaccaria you will have to go to the left and round the corner of the palace.
Vaporetto (water bus) journey time to the Doge’s Palace depends on the line and stop of departure; from Venice Santa Lucia station it takes about 30 minutes, about the same time it would take on foot. The main lines have very frequent rides, with waits of only a few minutes.
Of course, as with all attractions in the centre of Venice, it is not possible to get to the Doge’s Palace by car.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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