Hotels near Doge's Palace

The Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale) was the seat of the Venetian government for nearly a thousand years - residence of the elected Doge, meeting hall of the Great Council, and headquarters of the law courts and prison. The current pink-and-white Venetian Gothic building dates from the 14th century, with later wings by Antonio da Ponte after the 1577 fire. Tintoretto's Paradiso, in the Hall of the Great Council, is one of the largest oil paintings in the world at 22 metres wide.

The standard ticket covers the state apartments, the council chambers with their Veronese and Tintoretto ceilings, the armoury, and a walk through the prison via the Bridge of Sighs. The Secret Itineraries tour (book separately, EUR 32 with audioguide) opens the doge's private rooms, the torture chamber, and the lead-roofed cells where Casanova was held in 1755 - small group, two hours, and the only way to see the working spaces of the Republic.

Pro Tip: The combined Doge's Palace ticket also covers Museo Correr across the square, the Archaeological Museum, and the Marciana Library - so use one ticket across two visits and avoid the single-entry scrum at the palace door.