doge's palace hidden treasures tour

• Venice Guided Tours

Hidden Treasures of the Doge Tour in the Doge's Palace

The Itinerary: The visit will take you to the rooms of the Doge's Palace that were once reserved for the Doge.

Hidden Treasures of the Doge Tour in the Doge's Palace. The tour passes through the rooms of the Doge's Palace that were once reserved for the Doge, Lord of Venice, and that are located in the wing of the Palace adjacent to the St Mark’s Basilica.

From the Porta della Carta you can admire the Loggiato, from where the Doge overlooked during public holidays. Later on you´ll pass through the Arco Foscari where the chests with the Treasures of the State are conserved until you reach the hanging terraces and the apartment where the Doge lived. Continuing with the tour, by a staircase, we´ll arrive at the church where the highest authority of the Serenissima used to participate in religious practices before going to the great hall of the Senate, where public life awaited him.

Continuing with the tour, by a staircase, we´ll arrive at the church where the highest authority of the Serenissima used to participate in religious practices before going to the great hall of the Senate, where public life awaited him.

Once the guided tour is finished, you can continue the visit on your own through the Doge's Palace, without a guide.

PLEASE NOTE: For security reasons, it is strictly forbidden to enter with backpacks, large bags or luggage. It is recommended not to take them with you since the lines for the wardrobe are very long.

Due to the characteristics of the route, this tour is not accessible for people with mobility difficulties and is not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia, dizziness or cardio-circulatory disorders. This tour is not recommended for pregnant women.

This tour is not accessible to children under 6 years old.

Doge's Palace – The Hidden Treasures of the Doge

Starting Time: 11:45 am Frequency: Friday, Saturday and Sunday Duration: about 1:15 Language: English Meeting Point: at the RESERVATION desk of the Doge's Palace price: 33.40 euros per person. Children between 6 and 25 years old and over 65 years old: 20.40 euros. This tour is not accessible to children under 6 years old.

The price includes: guide service, entrance fees to the Hidden Treasures of the Doge and reservation fees.

CANCELLATION POLICY The reservation can’t be changed, cancelled or reimbursed under any circumstances.

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Secret Itineraries Tour

• Hidden Doge’s Treasure Tour

The Secret Itinerary through the Doge’s Palace covers the rooms and chambers where the delicate work of some of the most important bodies in the Venetian administration was carried out. These spaces offer an interesting insight into and acknowledgement of the civil and political history of the Venice Republic, its public organisations, and its institutional bodies deputed to government and justice.

INFORMATION The tour is  accompanied by a specialized guide , for a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 25 .

It starts at established times according to the following schedule: – in Italian at 11.00 and  12.30 ; – in  English at 10.00 , 11.30 and  13.00 – in French at 10.30 and  12.00 .

Further departures are available on demand Info: Call center +39 041 42730892 Monday to Friday 09:00-16:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00-13:00. [email protected]

The tour takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes . The ticket includes the guided tour to the Secret Itineraries and grants access, without a guide, to the Doge’s Palace.

ACCESSIBILITY The spaces have, in some cases, small size and are on different levels, connected by steep and narrow stairs: they are therefore not accessible to those with mobility problems and not recommended for those suffering from claustrophobia, vertigo of cardio-respiratory disorders. They are also not suitable for pregnant women. Children under 6 are not allowed .

TICKETS (includes visit to the Doge’s Palace)

Full price ticket: 32,00 euro

Reduced ticket: 20,00 euro* Children aged from 6 to 14; students  * aged from 15 to 25; citizens over 65; Venetian residents; holders of the Rolling Venice Card; holders of the VeneziaUnica Pack; for those buying the combined ticket to the St. Mark’s Square Museums; holders of the Museum Pass; holders of the Clock Tower ticket;  I.C.O.M. members*; holders of ISIC – International Student Identity Card.

* I.D. required

HOW TO BOOK AND BUY BY PHONE / EMAIL

Call center +39 041 42730892 Monday to Friday 09:00-16:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00-13:00. [email protected]

BOOK YOUR TOUR ONLINE >

MORE INFO ABOUT THE ITINERARY >>>

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5 reasons to do the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace in Venice

If you’re looking to buy a normal ticket to the Doge’s Palace, I would recommend that you go on the secret itineraries tour of the Doges Palace instead. It cost €28 for an adult ticket , which is much higher compared to the entrance fee for other attractions in Italy, like the Milan Cathedral . But through the tour, you can learn about the workings of the Doge’s Palace, and see places which are not opened to those who purchase the normal ticket at €25. As compared to the Secret Itineraries tour, the normal ticket gives you access to the St Mark’s Museum, which according to Google, looked quite ornate. But we preferred to have a guide and it was worth it. Here’s why you should do the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace in Venice. It will take about 1hr 30 mins.

5 reasons to take the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace in Venice

1. our guide was knowledgeable and fun.

Our guide was a Venetian lady who told us interesting facts and peppered the tour with jokes along the way. She started off at the square telling us about the big rooms in the palace, which are designated for voting and for political meetings of Venetian noblemen. At one point, one of the meeting rooms was the biggest in the whole of Europe.

Our guide also mentioned that it was difficult for local Venetians to continue staying in Venice due to the high cost of living. In addition, there is also a high cost involved to do restoration and repair works as workers will have to take a boat over. This explains why we saw plenty of empty homes when we ventured to a more local part of the island in the south-east. It was much more enjoyable listening to our guide as opposed to simply reading the short English descriptions of the paintings.

We learnt that the fall of Venice could be attributed to Napoleon , hence he is a figure not well-liked among Venetians.

2. We got to see Casanova’s cell and learn how he escaped

Giacomo Casanova is one of Venice’s most famous residents. He was known for his romantic liaisons with women from all walks of life, including nuns. Our guide explained that women were sent to be nuns back then out of poverty. For some, it was not of their choice. In the midst of saving them, Casanova had several affairs and was imprisoned for an affront to religion.

The subject of Casanova’s escape was a controversial one. It was said that during one of his walks, he found a metal spike which he brought with him back to his cell. He started digging a hole in the wall as a means of escape. But on the night before he planned his escape, he was moved to another holding cell, and had to bribe the warden of that time to cover up (the hole) literally. He was placed in another holding cell where he enlisted the help of his cellmate, Father Balbi, a renegade priest, to dig a hole for their escape.

While Casanova’s account is suspenseful, the guide said that it was to be taken with a pinch of salt, as there was no hole to be found when the cells were checked after his escape.

3. Political prisoners were left in the basement, which could flood during heavy rains

It is most unfortunate if you were convicted of treason back in those days. We were told that political prisoners, especially those who were about to be executed we placed in cells at the basement of the palace. As it rains frequently in Venice and floods often, the cells would be flooded and water levels could rise to one’s chest level. It was a dire situation especially if the cells were flooded and the prisoners had to share it with rats. According to our guide, rats outnumber the number of humans in Venice currently.

4. It is better to be a Chancellor than a Doge

We visited the Office of the Great Chancellor, who is said to be in charge of all the archival records in Venice. The Chancellors had a nice office with wooden beams supporting it. Apparently, it could get quite hot during the summer. That said, it was still much more spacious that the prison cells below. Our guide said that it was much better to be a Chancellor as compared to being a Doge, as the Doge was expected to furnish the palace with his own wealth. In comparison, the Chancellor knew all the secrets of the city, and as a result, was paid well. His appointment was for life and his office was also quite big, by standards in the past.

5. We learnt that a bridge built 500 years ago can be sturdier than one built 10 years ago

The Secret Itineraries tour led us to the attic where we could see the foundations of the palace, held steady by blocks of wood. It was then where our guide remarked that it was quite steady, as compared bridges which were built 10 years ago to serve incoming tourist traffic.

After the tour, we took a walk around the palace. The paintings and rooms in the Dodge’s Palace were impressive, decked in gold and paintings of epic battles. If the Cathedrals that we visited in Italy were meant to make people feel awe in a divine presence, the paintings and gold furnishings were meant to make guests feel impressed – it was almost intimidating. We particularly like the frescos on the floor, which were in the form of 3D shapes.

The Travelling Squid’s Take

For new visitors who are not familiar with Venice’s history, the Secret Itineraries tour will give you a glimpse into what was life in the past, away from the grandeur of the ceremonial halls. It was interesting to learn about how public servants were involved in the administration of Venetian governance, as well as experience the prison cells which used to hold people convicted of political crimes and Casanova.

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Following the extensive conservative restoration work that has restored the original splendor of its interior, the evocative rooms of the Chiesetta and Antichiesetta del Doge will be the fulcrum of a new, fascinating artistic-historical tour to discover The Doge’s Hidden Treasures in the Doge’s Palace, unfolding in the Doge’s private rooms in the wing of the Doge’s Palace adjacent to the Basilica.

Info & Booking

Following the extensive conservative restoration work that has restored the original splendor of its interior, from April 1, 2015 the evocative rooms of the Chiesetta and Antichiesetta del Doge will be the fulcrum of a new, fascinating artistic-historical tour to discover The Doge’s Hidden Treasures in the Doge’s Palace, unfolding in the Doge’s private rooms in the wing of the Doge’s Palace adjacent to the Basilica.

Mandatory booking, tour with qualified guide.

Available every day as follows:

• English 11:45am
• Italian 11am
• French 12:30pm

Number of people per group : minimum 2, maximum 10 Duration : around 1 hour and 15 minutes

NOTE : The visit is confirmed 120 days before the date, so reservation guarantees the inclusion on the waiting list and delivery of the voucher as soon as we receive it from the Tower management. Charge to credit card is made on the day of the request.

Accessibility : The spaces have, in some cases, small size and are on different levels connected by steep and narrow stairs: are therefore not accessible to those with mobility problems and is not recommended for those suffering from claustrophobia, vertigo of cardio-respiratory disorders. They are also not suitable for pregnant women. Children under 6 are not allowed. The ticket gives a reduction when booking a visit to the Clock Tower.

Reservations must be made with a minimum of 1-day notice and must be picked up at Doge's Palace.

This reservation is made through an agency authorized by the official licensee of Venice Museums.

Save time ordering! Add all the museum tickets you want into your basket, then fill in the form and send the request.

Please read the Ordering Information before making your reservation.

PLEASE NOTE: Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive an email with your order summary plus a second email confirming your successful payment. A confirmation email with links to the vouchers will be sent one business day after you place your order (Monday afternoon for orders submitted on Friday and during the weekend). Please make sure that your anti-spam filter does not block automatic emails from [email protected] .

PLEASE NOTE : The time you select on the order form is your preferred time. The museum will automatically confirm the closest available time, which can be any time during opening hours , if your preferred time is no longer available.

Cancellation Policy:

Once a confirmation code has been assigned to the reservation we can refund the cost of unused tickets minus a service fee (reservation fee and online booking fee) up to 5 days after the confirmation is sent.

No refund is possible for or cancellations 5 days after the confirmation is sent , and for no shows.

Before You Book

PLEASE NOTE: Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive two email. The first email contains your order summary (this one you receive immediately after placing your order), the second email confirms your successful payment (one business day after placing the order). In order to receive these two emails, please make sure that you enter your email address correctly and check that antispam or antivirus filters do not block emails from our [email protected] address. Users of AOL, Comcast and Sbcglobal.net need to pay special attention to this, please. Vouchers will also be available, one business day after the request, at your dashboard. IMPORTANT NOTE: The time you select on the order form is your preferred time. The closest available time, which can be anytime during opening hours on the selected date, will be automatically confirmed if your preferred time is no longer available.

Doge's Palace - The Doge's Hidden Treasures

After entering near the Porta della Carta with its lavish sculptures and marble decorations, you will be lead up to the Loggiato , which is where the ruler of the Most Serene Republic would appear during public events.

From this vantage point you’ll see the entire area of Saint Mark’s with its buildings from different periods and in different styles that still mark the perimeter.

From there, your itinerary continues to the Loggia Foscara , a Renaissance addition to the original Gothic arrangement of the Doge’s Palace. Inside are the coffers where the State Treasures are conserved. Your path continues to the hanging Terrace, and going through part of the Doge’s Apartment – where he enjoyed his private life with his family, the scudieri and servants’ quarters. You’ll continue up a steep staircase that is embellished with a painting by Titian of Saint Christopher , up to the Chiesetta and the Antichiesetta (the private chapels), frescoed in the mid eighteenth century by Jacopo Guarana and Gerolamo and Agostino Mengozzi Colonna.

In this brightly lit room, enlarged by the trompel’oil of the wall frescoes, is a sculpture of Virgin with Child and Angels by Jacopo Sansovino. The models that Sebastiano Ricci used for the second arch of the Basilica with The Translation of the Body of Saint Mark are conserved in the Antichiesetta.

Cancellation Policy

Once a confirmation code has been assigned to your reservation, we can refund the cost of unused tickets, also for no-shows, minus a service fee (reservation fee and online booking fee).

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VIP Doge's Palace Secret Passages Tour

678 reviews

Why take this tour?

• Explore the more impenetrable parts of the Doge's Palace, including torture chambers and interrogation rooms
• Learn more about the people who passed through this building
• Acquaint yourself with the long and fascinating history of Venice through stories told by your expert guide
• Sites Visited
• Casanova’s prison cell
• Torture chamber
• Secret archives
• Hall of the Great Council
• Sala della Scrutinio
• New Prisons
• Bridge of Sighs
• Tour Includes
• VIP Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries tickets
• Skip-the-line Doge's Palace tickets
• Expert local guide

Take a walk through hidden torture rooms, cells and council rooms

Total customer reviews: 678, latest reviews.

Meeting Point

Meeting Point   

This tour meets underneath the Portico, just outside the entrance of the Correr Museum in Piazza San Marco, 30124. The Correr Museum is directly opposite the entrance of St. Mark's Basilica. Your guide will be holding a green Walks sign. 

Please meet 15 minutes prior to the tour start time.   

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• Doge's Palace - S...

Doge's Palace - Secret Itineraries Tour or the Hidden Doge's Treasure Tour

Can you recommend either a Secret Itineraries Tour or the Hidden Doge's Treasure Tour if I can only pick one?

Hello aimeesoo,

I did the Secret Itineraries Tour last September. I starts in the dungeon and works its way up through the offices, rooms of state and up to the torture chamber and upper cells - including Casanova's. After that they re-inject you into the regular Dodge's rooms and displays. The tour touches on some of the politics and court systems of the time including how controlled a life the Dodge actually lived and was interesting even if it didn't really delve into how macabre the whole thing had become.

I haven't done the Hidden Doge's Treasure Tour but it sounds much more about decorations and opulence so they sound very different. So I guess it depends on which element you find more interesting.

Enjoy Venice, it's a magical city, =Tod

I took the Secret Itieraries tour several years ago and loved it. It was fun to see where Casanova was kept a prisioner and contrast it with the regular cells. What I remember the most is being up in the attic. It was huge. I would definitely recommend this tour although I am sure you'd like the other one two. You probably can't make a bad choice.

Husband and MIL did the Secret Itinerary tour and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I just booked for us the Exclusive Alone In St Mark's & Doge's Palace Tour in October with Walks of Italy. It advertises itself as after-closing tours of the two locations, including some behind-the-scenes sections and some time in the piazza. It's a bit more, as you can imagine, but it looks like we'll be able to get some up-close looks at portions that would otherwise be either inaccessible or too crowded during the day.

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VIP Doge's Palace Secret Passages Tour

• Gain special access to areas of the Doge's Palace not usually open to the public—including torture chambers and Casanova’s prison cell!
• After your secret passages tour, you'll skip notoriously long general access lines to get inside the Doge's Palace for a special tour by our local guide.
• With a small group of just 20 guests, your journey will be intimate, while privileged access means you won’t waste any time waiting in line.

Preview the experience

Tour description, with special access, you'll see more of the doge's palace than most other visitors..

Away from the grandiose halls and lavish apartments of the Doge's Palace lies a darker side to the space. On this Doge's Palace secret passages tour, you'll step off the beaten path and into the shadows, discovering the secrets and spaces that the Venetian doges themselves tried to keep hidden.

You’ll meet your guide near the Doge’s Palace and head straight inside (no waiting in line for you) where a palace guard will unlock a secret door, allowing you to step into the hidden world of political Venice. Navigate the hidden prison cells reserved for VIP prisoners, torture chambers, secret government archives and top echelon offices. Even back in the day, most Venetians didn’t know this space existed, so it’s hard to overstate just how privileged our secret passages tour is. With their antique cabinets and creaky floors these rooms will truly make you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time.

By exploring the secret passages, you get away from the crowds elsewhere in the Doge’s Palace and walk in the footsteps of Venice’s most colorful characters. Our favorite? Casanova, that legendary romantic—yes, he did exist! And, as you’ll learn, he deserves all of the lore. Against all odds, he was able to escape his cell here in the palace—a cell you’ll get to see exclusively in the secret passages tour.

See secret passages and stunning ballrooms at the Palazzo Ducale.

Few visitors ever have the opportunity to walk the passages you’ve just walked, yet the Doge’s Palace is still one of the top sights of Venice. See what all the fuss is about when you step back into general access areas of the palace to explore the waiting rooms, council halls and ballrooms of the palace. While our secret passages tour is full of dark secrets and hidden rooms, the general access part of this tour is all pomp and grandeur, offering glimpses of Venice’s finest works of art.

You’ll discover the public face of the Republic of Venice with your expert guide, from the Doge’s own lavish apartments to the Hall of the Great Council. Admire beautiful and dramatic paintings by Veronese and Tintoretto, and explore the magnificent halls that demonstrate the prestige of the Venetian Republic.

Small groups, special access, and local guides make for an unforgettable tour.

Throughout your tour, you’ll travel in small groups of only 20 people or less, so you’ll find that your guide is always easy to hear and engage with. Ask all the questions you want—our guides are locals who spend a lot of time in the Doge’s Palace, so you’ll find it hard to catch them out. They’re passionate about the history and art of Venice, and about sharing that passion with you, so they’d love to hear your queries.

With privileged entrance, you'll save time that would have otherwise been spent waiting in line, while special access allows you to go far beyond the usual visitor experience for an adventure into the Doge’s Palace secret passages. Leave no stone unturned or door unopened on this complete, comprehensive, and thoroughly VIP exploration of the history and art of Venice!

Please note that due to Doge's Palace rules, we cannot accommodate children under six years old in the Secret Passages.

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How to Buy Tickets for the Doge’s Palace Venice

This article may contain compensated links. See our full disclosure here

The Doge’s Palace, or Palazzo Ducale, is beside the gorgeous Grand Canal in the Piazza San Marco. This landmark is undoubtedly one of Venice’s historical treasures. The impressive structure once housed the Venetian government and is an incredible showcase of Gothic Architecture in Italy.

It’s no surprise that Doge’s Palace sees over a million visitors each year. So, as one of the most popular attractions in Venice, it should be easy to figure out how to buy tickets for the Doge’s Palace, right?

The sheer number of options can make you wonder where to start but don’t worry. This article will take you through how to buy tickets to Doge’s Palace through the official website and other trusted partners.

When you’re done here, take a look at some other hidden gems in Venice .

Article contents

Doge’s Palace Tickets Quick Links

If you just want a quick glance, here is a quick look at our recommended options for your tickets to Doge’s Palace:

• Doge’s Palace Tickets and Tours on MUVE (official site) – You can use the site to book tickets, but this can be tricky to navigate as it is clunky and not clearly marked. Refunds are also problematic.
• Fast Track Tickets from Tiqets – Skip-the-line Doge’s Palace tickets with quick entry and access to Doge’s Palace’s main entrance, also called the Porta Della Carta (Carta Gate). Note that this doesn’t include guided tours or audio tours.
• Doge’s Palace Ticket on GetYourGuide – This site is generally much easier to use and has flexible booking options. It has both ticket entry and tour options.
• VIP Doge’s Palace Secret Passages Tour – Visit the Doge’s Palace and gain access to areas that aren’t usually accessible to the public. It includes Bridge of Sighs, the Courtrooms and the Doges’ Apartments, as well as Casanova’s prison cell.
• Liv Tours – Small group tours (6 people maximum) or private tours of Doge’s Palace are available – 5% off with code – UNTOLDITALY .

Doge’s Palace Tickets or Tour

You can get Doge’s Palace tickets that include guided tours, which can be helpful for first-time visitors. You could also buy only a simple entrance ticket and explore independently — this option is cheaper.

Entry tickets allow you to take your time and explore independently, taking in the exquisite details of the Porta Della Carta (Carta Gate) and the glorious palace interior. However, this usually only includes access to the ground floor rather than the secret areas of the Palazzo Ducale . And it’s best to be aware that the MUVE site where you can purchase those tickets isn’t clearly marked, so it’s more challenging to navigate.

Booking tours on partner sites is more straightforward but a little more expensive. Tours offer a more in-depth experience for your Doge’s Palace visit that a simple general admissions ticket couldn’t provide. Guided tours or audio guides often have insights into the history of Palazzo Ducale and Venetian culture, which you might not find alone.

A bonus is that specific tour options, like the Secret Itineraries Tour, provide unique access to parts of Doge’s Palace that are usually closed off to the public, like hidden torture chambers or Casanova’s cell. These tours include access to attractions like St. Mark’s Basilica or the famous Bridge of Sighs .

So, overall, you can weigh out your options and decide what’s best, but tours are recommended for convenience and added value. 

What Does Your Doge’s Palace Ticket Include?

The general access tickets sold on the MUVE website are also called St. Mark’s Square Museums Ticket, and they will cost around €30 for most people. Luckily for those of you who like to plan ahead, you can receive a slightly cheaper price on your ticket. If you purchase on the official website at least 30 days before the visit date, the price will drop to €25 per ticket.

With your purchase of the St. Mark’s Square Museums Ticket, you will have the following inclusions:

• Includes Doge’s Palace admission
• Access to other places in St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco), including Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Archaeological Museum), Museo Correr (Correr Museum), and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (The Marciana Library)

The ticket doesn’t include access to certain areas that the Secret Itineraries Tour or Hidden Doge’s Treasure Tour might consist of, like the clock tower or secret rooms and chambers. However, you can pay an extra €5 for an audio guide.

A museum pass can also be purchased for €40 (full price) to access the same places as above, as well as the Civic Museums (access depends on which are open at the time), including the Museum of 18th Century Venice and the Glass Museum. The nice thing about the museum pass is that it includes a one-time entry to each museum and is valid for six months, meaning you can spread out your visits across that time.

Buy Tickets on the “Official” Doge’s Palace Site

The Doge’s Palace official website is Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, or MUVE for short. The foundation manages 11 of Venice’s most famous and spectacular museums and locations. These include the Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum , the Natural History Museum , and others that you’ll find here .

You can purchase a general admission St. Mark’s Museum Ticket, a Secret Itineraries Tour ticket, a Hidden Doge’s Treasure Tour ticket, and a museum pass on the website.

It’s worth noting the site itself isn’t very well-marked: it’s clunky, unclear, and difficult to navigate, and if you think you might need a refund, forget it – the process is very time-consuming.

• Pros of booking on MUVE – The site has decent prices due to the discounts and free access available to those who match specific criteria (more on that later).
• Cons of booking on MUVE – Apart from the website design that is hard to navigate and confusing at times, refunds can also be problematic. No immediate refunds are available, which isn’t ideal, especially if you have a change of plans. The best you can do is request a refund via email or call center, but the request can take up to 15 days to be processed. Tour tickets have limited availability.

Buy Tickets via an Official Partner

If you feel like bypassing the official website and opting for more engaging guided tours, booking through official partner websites is the way to go. GetYourGuide , Viator , Liv Tours , Walks of Italy , and Tiqets are all worthwhile options.

Official partner sites have many more tour options, offering private tours and guided tours for newer travelers. They also have a much nicer user experience, making your first Doge’s Palace visit much easier. Prices will be more expensive when compared to the MUVE site, but this is worthwhile, considering the extra perks and access to certain areas.

• Pros of booking on official partners – More ticket and tour options, including skip-the-line tickets to Doge’s Palace and guided and private tours. Prices are often inclusive of any tax or service fees. Tours are more in-depth and cover the entirety of Doge’s Palace and other places like St. Mark’s Basilica. Sites are easy to navigate and book, and you have more opportunities for refunds if needed.
• Cons of booking on official partners – Prices are slightly more expensive since you’re getting more out of the booking, like additional service and skip-the-line perks. You also lose out on any discounts available on the official site.

Recommended Doge’s Palace Tours

Considering the above pros and cons, it’s safe to say that tours of Doge’s Palace might be a better fit for many people. Skip-the-line and single-entry tickets are great if you enjoy discovering on your own, but you’ll never get full access to the entire palace. A guided tour is the best option to see secret areas like the Bridge of Sighs connecting to the New Prison section, built more recently as an addition to the palace in the 16th century.

Tour guides will complete your experience, offering their input and guidance on the venue, sharing stories and historical facts, and making your experience more fulfilling overall. Tours are also customizable to your needs and budget . You can choose from various tour sizes, prices, and styles, from private to group excursions.

Now, let’s take a look at four recommended tours for Doge’s Palace:

• Exclusive Alone in St. Mark’s & Doge’s Palace Tour with Walks of Italy –  This tour is around three-and-a-half hours long and takes a maximum of 25 people per group. What makes this tour so unique? Well, it takes place at night, after the official closing time, so you aren’t surrounded by other visitors, which is excellent if you don’t like crowds. You’ll explore St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace and exclusive rooms like the grand council rooms and Doge’s apartments.
• VIP Doge’s Palace Secret Passages Tour with Walks of Italy – Another experience offered by Walks of Italy is this two-and-a-half-hour tour of Doge’s Palace secret passages. It lets you skip the line and has a maximum of 20 people per group. The tour occurs during regular opening hours but is set in the lower levels, where typical visitors aren’t usually allowed. Your guide will lead you to hidden torture chambers and Casanova’s prison cell, seeing a darker side to the otherwise grand palace. 
• Semi-private St. Mark’s and Doge’s Palace Tour with Liv Tours – This next tour offers a two-hour semi-private experience with a small group of no more than six people. You’ll see both Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica, with an expert guide ready to answer your questions. The tour also includes access to secret rooms, the Bridge of Sighs, and views of the Campanile di San Marco (St. Mark’s bell tower). The great thing about Liv Tours is its 24-hour free cancellation policy and all-inclusive prices. Get 5% off with code – UNTOLDITALY .
• Private Doge’s Palace Tour with Exclusive Access to Secret Rooms with Liv Tours – This last recommendation is a three-hour tour offered by Liv Tours that takes you on a private guided tour through Doge’s Palace and lets you skip the long lines to get into St. Mark’s Basilica and the bell tower. You’ll enjoy expert commentary from your guide, a walk along the Bridge of Sighs with views of the Grand Canal, and access to secret rooms. Get 5% off with code – UNTOLDITALY .

Doge’s Palace Tickets FAQ

Do you need to buy tickets in advance.

Yes. It’s best to purchase your entry ticket online on MUVE or any of the partner ticket sellers mentioned above beforehand. While you can stand in line on the day, that will take a few hours extra due to the large crowds, so it’s best to get a timed option in peak season. Purchasing tickets in advance will save time and allow you to get the most out of your Venice itinerary .

What Are the Doge’s Palace Opening Hours?

The Doge’s Palace is open year-round, apart from Christmas and New Year’s Day, so the 25th of December and the 1st of January. While Palazzo Ducale is open every day, the opening hours may vary depending on the season or unforeseen changes. It’s always best to check the MUVE announcements page to see when the palace might be closed and if there are any pertinent updates.

That said, here are the current opening hours from Monday to Sunday:

• From the 1st of November to the 31st of March: 09:00 – 18:00 (last admission at 17:00)
• From the 1st of April to the 31st of October: 09:00 – 19:00 (last admission at 18:00)

The holiday season brings extended evening opening hours. As of the time of writing this article, these evening openings will run every Friday and Saturday from the 8th of December, 2023, to the 6th of January, 2024. Opening hours are from 09:00 – 21:00, and the last entrance closes at 20:30.

NOTE: The ticket office closes one hour before closing time.

Are There Any Discounts or Free Entry?

Yes, there are discounts and free entry opportunities for Doge’s Palace. However, the criteria to qualify for these discounts are rather specific.

If you’re purchasing your tickets directly from the MUVE website or the ticket office, you can get a St. Mark’s Square Museum ticket for a reduced price of €15. The same goes for the Museums Pass, with a reduced price of €22.

Take a look at the list below to see the groups that qualify for reduced prices:

• Children between the ages of 6 to 14 years old
• Italian students between the ages of 15 and 25 years old
• International Student Identity Card (ISIC) holders 
• Visitors over 65 years old
• Venice Rolling Card holders
• Families with at least two adults and one child (limited to 14 people per family)

That said, everyone qualifies for discounted tickets if they are purchased online at least 30 days before the date of visiting Doge’s Palace. This applies to both the full and reduced ticket prices: the full-price ticket will drop from €30 to €25, and the reduced price will drop from €15 to €13.

Free tickets are also available to some groups, so if you meet any of the following criteria, you could get free entrance:

• Venetian citizens
• Children below five years old
• Disabled individuals and their respective helpers
• Tourist guides
• Teachers accompanying school groups on trips
• MUVE ordinary partners
• Amici dei Musei e Monumenti Veneziani members
• MUVE friend card holders 
• Venice Foundation Art Pass holders
• Venetian Heritage Foundation members
• Save Venice Fellow Inc. members

READ: Our guide to exploring Venice with kids .

How Much Does It Cost to Get Into Doge’s Palace?

When purchasing entry tickets on the Doge’s Palace official website, you’ll get a full-price and reduced-price option. The reduced prices are only available to particular groups, but this will be covered later. Here are the ticket prices as listed on the MUVE site:

• St. Mark’s Museums Ticket (full price): €30 or €25 (if ordered online, 30 days before your visit).
• St. Mark’s Museums Ticket (reduced price): €15 or €13 (if ordered online, 30 days before your visit). 
• Museums Pass: €40 (full) and €22 (reduced).
• Hidden Doge’s Treasure or Secret Itineraries Tour: €32 (full) and €20 (reduced).

NOTE: These prices don’t include the optional €5 additional fee for an audio guide.

When Do Doge’s Palace Tickets Go on Sale?

Unfortunately, Doge’s Palace skip-the-line tickets offered by the MUVE website don’t go on sale very often. The best you can do is apply for a discount or get a reduced price – you can take a look at the discount criteria below. If you’re booking through a third-party partner site, like Viator , GetYourGuide , or LivTours , keep an eye out for reduced prices before you book, or use a coupon code if available.

Liv Tours , for example, will give you 5% off your tour price with the code UNTOLDITALY .

Can You Buy Doge’s Palace Tickets on the Day?

You can buy tickets to Doge’s Palace on the same day by lining up at the ticket office on-site but expect to wait at least an hour, minimum, and that’s on a typical day. During the high season, it can take as long as two hours before you manage to snag a ticket. Plus, if you want to try the Secret Itineraries Tour, you might miss out, as only a limited number of tickets are available.

Visiting Venice means using every precious moment to your advantage. You wouldn’t want to wait a few extra hours when you could have booked in advance and saved yourself some trouble. Check out some of these ticketing sites to make your experience more manageable:

• Co-op Culture  
• GetYourGuide

What Do I Need to Bring to the Doge’s Palace?

To enter the Doge’s Palace, there isn’t much you need to remember. You will need your ticket, either printed out or digitally on your device, and your identification document. If you’re applying for a discount or reduced price, you’ll also need the relevant documentation, for example, your ISIC card or Venice Rolling Card.

When Should I Arrive at the Doge’s Palace?

It is best to arrive at least 30 minutes before your allocated entry time so you can complete security checks. If you decide to purchase your tickets on the day of your visit (which isn’t recommended), you’ll want to arrive as soon as possible. You’ll have to wait one or two hours to get a ticket.

TIP: Since all visitors need to go through a security check, leaving as many bulky items as possible is best. Visiting regulations state that items like umbrellas or big, hefty bags won’t be allowed inside and must be stored in the cloakroom until you’re done. These items will just make the security check much longer and waste time.

What Is the Best Time to Visit the Doge’s Palace?

Given the popularity of Doge’s Palace, the venue can get jam-packed throughout the day. The best time of day to avoid masses of crowds is usually in the evening or early morning before opening. This still leaves you plenty of time to explore other parts of the city, like the nearby Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Archaeological Museum), Correr Museum, or the monumental rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (The Marciana Library).

For Doge’s Palace and any other attractions in the square, you’ll find that visiting during the low season is best (between November to March).

Do I Need to Print My Tickets?

When visiting Doge’s Palace, printing your skip-the-line tickets is an option, but you will find it easier to download them to your smartphone.

Can I Stay Close to the Doge’s Palace?

Yes! Hotels and accommodations in the San Marco district are perfect since they’re nice and close to Palazzo Ducale, Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark’s Square), and other attractions in the city center, like the Archaeological Museum. 

Check out where to stay in Venice and the best hotels in Venice for more information – they have some ideal hotel suggestions in the San Marco district.

LISTEN: To our podcast on Why you need to spend at least 3 days in Venice .

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Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries - Venice Guided tour

Discover secret areas of the Doge's Palace with an expert guide!

• Reserved entrance
• Confirmation by email
• E-voucher accepted
• Duration: about 1h30
• Discover the Doge's Palace secret path.
• Take advantage of your reservation to avoid the queue at the entrance.
• Visit the cell where Giacomo Casanova was imprisoned.

Narrow passages, steep stairs, small cells and torture chambers, an exciting tour that will reveal you all the secrets of the Doge's Palace hidden areas. At the end of the tour you can stay in the museum for as long as you wish!

PLEASE NOTE:  the tour is not allowed to children under 6 years of age.

Doge’s Palace Venice skip-the-line ticket: quick access

Buy online. Choose your preferred time. Visit Venice’s Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs, prisons and more.

You can cancel for free up to the day before your visit.

Table of content

• 1 Visit the Doge’s Palace: the route in brief
• 2.1 Courtyard
• 2.2 Opera Museum
• 2.3 Loggias Floor 
• 2.4 Doge’s Apartments
• 2.5 Institutional Chambers (Part I)
• 2.7 Institutional Chambers (Part II)
• 2.8 Bridge of Sighs and New Prisons
• 2.9 Institutional Halls (Part III)
• 3.1 Secret Itineraries
• 3.2 The Doge’s Hidden Treasures
• 4 Doge’s Palace tour Venice: FAQ
• 5 Doge’s Palace self guided tour: conclusions

Visit the Doge’s Palace: the route in brief

Looking at the Doge’s Palace, or Palazzo del Doge, you will notice that it consists of four wings extending around the central porticoed courtyard . In height, however, it has three floors (the loggia, first and second noble floors) in addition to the prison building, which is external and accessible via the Bridge of Sighs between the first and second floors. In this context, you do not follow a linear route but find yourself going up and down the floors in stages.

To enter the Palace, you have to go to the Porta del Frumento – South Wing, overlooking St Mark’s Basin – from which you access the large porticoed courtyard .

Here, you can admire the two wellhead buildings, the majestic Giants’ Staircase and the clock façade of the Renaissance wing. 

This floor is also home to the Opera Museum , where you can discover the ancient capitals of the Palace, replaced and displayed here following a renovation in the 19th century. To continue your visit, cross the courtyard to the west wing and take the Censors’ Staircase leading to the upper floors.

A short passage to the first floor, called the Piano delle Logge , will allow you to stroll through the loggia and admire the large inner courtyard from above. From here, continue following the signs to access the sumptuous Golden Staircase leading to the first and second piano noble. 

On the first piano noble is the Doge’s Apartment located in the west wing. Here you can walk through the state rooms and learn more about the figure of the Doge through the works on display. Exhibitions and temporary exhibitions are also held in these rooms. 

The last flight of the Golden Staircase will take you to the second piano noble (top floor) where you will visit the first part of the Institutional Chambers . On this floor is the Sala delle Quattro Porte (Hall of the Four Doors), named after its four finely ornamented marble doors, and the Sala del Senato (Senate Hall) , where the senators whose job it was to control Venice’s finances and foreign policy gathered.

On the same floor, you can continue to the Armory, a former weapons depot divided into four rooms, which today displays more than two thousand pieces of weapons, armor and even instruments of torture.

After leaving the armory, descend back to the first floor through the Censors’ Staircase to visit the second group of institutional rooms .

On this floor the Halls also extend to the south wing, almost entirely occupied by the majestic Great Council Chamber , and to the west wing with the Scrutiny Room .

These rooms are the largest in the Palace:

• the first hosted the meetings of the Great Council, the highest political order of the Venetian Republic, chaired by the Doge;
• the second , originally used as a bookshop, later became the place for counting elections .

The exploration of the first piano noble ends in the Sala del Magistrato delle Leggi (Hall of the Magistrate of Laws) : from here you descend via the small staircase to the famous Bridge of Sighs .

Cross the bridge and you will arrive at the New Prisons , located in a separate building on the other side of the Rio di Palazzo. In the building, erected in the second half of the 16th century, you will be able to see the former prisoners’ places of detention .

Retracing the Bridge of Sighs – via a second walkway – return to the Piano delle Logge to visit the last institutional rooms. From the last room, the Sala Milizia del Mar , you will finally reach the Bookshop.

At the end of the visit, descend back down to the courtyard to arrive in the 16th-century Senators’ Courtyard – where they gathered to await government meetings – to the right of the Giants’ Staircase.

From here, passing under the Renaissance Arco Foscari, you can finally reach the exit of the palace through the monumental Paper door , which I recommend you observe carefully from the outside to admire its magnificence . 

The tour is free , but guided tours are also organized.

In addition, you can visit the Museum at night (times vary according to the season) to get a unique and evocative perspective of the Palace and the works inside.

Venice Doge’s Palace self-guided tour

In this section we discuss the visit route in detail . You can follow this guide as an indication for a visit on your own , or as an anticipation for a visit together with a professional tour guide .

We begin our tour of the Doge’s Palace from the wonderful courtyard .

To enter the Museum you will have to pass through the 14th-century south wing, which overlooks the Bacino di San Marco, and go through the Porta del Frumento , named after the Ufficio delle Biade that once stood nearby. Pass the ticket office and enter the courtyard to begin your visit!

Interior facades

Inside, on the left side is the wing facing Piazzetta San Marco to the west, on the right side is the Renaissance wing to the east, and finally the courtyard is closed off by a fourth side to the north, where the Doge’s Palace borders St Mark’s Basilica , which was once the Doge’s chapel.

If you look around, you will notice that the southern and western interior brick façades retain the characteristic Venetian Gothic look of the corresponding exterior façades.

The eastern façade of the courtyard, on the other hand, is decorated with Renaissance marble and was designed by architect Antonio Rizzo after the radical reconstruction of the wing following the devastating fire of 1483.

Arco Foscari and the Paper door

By continuing the tour of the Doge’s Palace , on the north side is the Porticato or Arco Foscari : a round arch made of white Istrian stone and red Verona marble. 

If you look up, you will notice a large clock at the top of the façade, the work of the German watchmaker Johan Slim, who made it in 1614 with a mechanism made of weights that reached down to the foundations of the palace and touched the water of an underground canal.

The Arco Foscari connects the inner courtyard to the majestic Paper door : once the main entrance to the palace, now the museum’s exit.

The Giants’ Staircase and the Senators’ Courtyard

As you stroll through the courtyard, you will see two massive and ornate bronze well-casters from the mid-16th century in the center and the imposing Giants’ Staircase : a natural extension of the Arco Foscari and the ancient entrance to the upper floors, it houses at its summit the statues of Mars and Neptune , sculpted by Sansovino in 1565, symbolizing the power of Venice.

To the right of the Giants’ Staircase you will find the 16th-century Senators’ Courtyard , where senators used to gather for government meetings.

The Censors’ Staircase

Also on the same side, but in the opposite direction to the majestic staircase, stands the Scala dei Censori under the elegant portico. This was built in 1525 to an architectural design by Antonio Abbondi, known as Scarpagnino. 

Just by climbing the Censors’ Staircase you can continue your visit to the upper floors and immerse yourself in the rich artistic and historical heritage offered by the Doge’s Palace.

Opera Museum

The Opera Museum housed a technical office responsible for the maintenance of the building , located in the south-west corner of the ground floor.

In the 19th century, the Doge’s Palace was in a terrible state of disrepair, so it was decided to carry out a major intervention in 1876 . A major restoration project was initiated in which 42 capitals of the exterior colonnade and other architectural elements were removed from the palace’s outer walls and courtyard and replaced with replicas.

The originals were restored and housed in the Opera Museum.

The capitals in the Museo dell’Opera are a precious and important part of the extraordinary sculptural apparatus that enriches the medieval facades of the Doge’s Palace . It is not just a simple decorative apparatus, but an articulate allegorical, religious, moral and political cycle that was certainly easier for a 14th and 15th century citizen to understand than it is today. 

The sculptures on the capitals represent a veritable poem in stone, peopled by women, men, children, animals, plants, zodiac signs, myths, symbols, vices, virtues, grouped in tales, parables and demonstrations, allegories and moral foundations, along a path that, in a typically medieval process, combined history and legend, astronomy and astrology, the sacred and the profane.

The Opera Museum offers an itinerary based on this tale in stone and is currently divided into six rooms.

This room contains six capitals and their columns from the 14th century portico of the palace overlooking St. Mark’s Basin. These are the oldest in the building, which was begun in 1340. 

The first one you meet on your way, on the right, represents Solomon and the seven scholars .

Unlike the capitals in the previous room, the four capitals in this room , with their columns, were originally located on the façade facing the Piazzetta.

The reliefs, of great sculptural quality, are very rich in allegories and moral teachings , dealing with topics related to work, the fruits of the earth, astrological correspondences, etc. On the entrance wall is a late 16th-century infill of one of the arches of the portico overlooking Ponte Paglia.

After the great fire that broke out in 1577, it was decided to plug the last arches for structural reasons.

This room houses three capitals with columns . The first on the right, described by Ruskin as ‘the most beautiful in Europe’, was located in the corner between the square and the pier, under the sculptural group of Adam and Eve.

Approach the sculpture of The Creation of Adam, the planets and their houses : it is from this position that one can appreciate the importance of this sculptural group in the great iconographic program of the Palace.

The reading begins with the creation of the first man , visible on the left with his back to the entrance, and continues with the depiction of the planets and corresponding constellations. The image of God seated on a throne has just completed the formation of Adam, followed by the elderly and bearded Saturn, seated in Capricorn, with his precious Aquarian vessel, counterclockwise.

His attribute, the sickle, is still visible, making him the protector of work in the fields and reminding the government of his old age and death; next to it, Jupiter, with a cloak around his neck and a doctor’s hat, touches the sign of Pisces and sits above Sagittarius, armed with a bow and arrow.

Mars sits in Aries , flanked by Scorpio, like an armored warrior with sword and shield. A beautiful young man with his head covered in rays of light occupies the fifth floor. The Sun sits in Leo , holding a star in his left hand.

Venus is elegantly dressed with a belt across her chest, sitting in Taurus with Libra in her arms, admiring her beauty in the mirror. Next to her is Mercury , dressed in a toga and holding an open book. It is located between Virgo and Gemini .

Finally, the Virgin is placed on a boat , lifting the Moon’s hawk and touching the crab, symbol of Cancer . The boat and the canopy, moved by the wind, recall the Moon’s influence on the tides and the wind. At the end of the room, the last capital represents the deadly sins.

Moving away from the entrance and proceeding counter-clockwise, we find Pride , in the form of a warrior armed with sword and shield and wearing Satan’s horned helmet; Wrath, an old man tearing his clothes and cursing the heavens; Avarice , closing two bags with his fists; and Sloth, trapped between the branches in a lazy, passive posture. The next page depicts ‘ vanity ‘, which is not included in the seven main vices.

She is depicted as a maiden , her head adorned with flowers. She looks at herself in a mirror placed in her lap and touches her breasts. The jealousy that follows shows that she is aware that she is no longer an object of desire for others and is tormented by anger. The serpent above her head and the dragon grasping her breasts emphasize her demonic appearance. Desire exposes her breasts in the mirror and finally her throat lifts the glass and brings her thighs to her mouth.

In this room are two porch shafts and a massive stone wall with large rough-hewn and juxtaposed boulders, dating from an earlier phase of the building.

Along the wall of the entrance are two other columns of the portico , while the one on the adjacent wall, with the foliate capital, belongs to the loggia of the façade facing the Piazzetta; a part of the gallery of the loggia was also placed in this room, with its succession of capitals resting on the pointed arches that give life to the quadrilobe surmounted by the rosette cornice . In the wedges of the arches are lion heads. 

There are 29 loggia capitals in this room.

Turning back along the right wall, one comes across a bust . This is all that remains of the group depicting Doge Cristoforo Moro with the Marcian Lion, which was placed in the niche in front of the Scala dei Giganti, demolished during the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797.

At the same end, the group with Doge Francesco Foscari kneeling in front of Bartolomeo Bon’s Lion above the Paper door, of which only the Doge’s head can be seen on the same side, goes towards the exit.

The group currently on the Paper door is a copy made in 1885 .

Loggias Floor 

From the floor of the loggias, the route begins along the three wings east, south and west of the palace , with fascinating views of the courtyard and Piazzetta San Marco.

It is precisely the loggias that give the palace’s architecture that characteristic lightness effect .

Today, the loggia floor houses the offices of the Soprintendenza per i Beni Ambientali e Architettonici di Venezia (Venice’s Environmental and Architectural Heritage Office) and some of the offices of the palace management, the Venetian Civic Museums, as well as one of the museum’s bookshops .

Doge’s Apartments

In 1556, as a continuation of the Giants’ Staircase , Doge Lorenzo Priuli gave Jacopo Sansovino the task of designing a staircase leading to his flats and state rooms.

The staircase was called the ‘ Golden Staircase ‘ because of the preciousness of the stuccoes covered in gold leaf and the fresco panels decorating the vault of the staircase.

At the top of the first ramp are two further ramps, one to the west and one to the east, both leading to the Doge’s Apartment on the First Noble Floor . The staircase served as a separation between the area of the Palace reserved for institutional functions and the Doge’s private area. 

The Doge’s Apartment was located in the northern part of the Renaissance wing and ran between the mezzanines and hidden rooms, such as the antichiesetta and the chapel, which are not visible on the standard tour (Special Routes).

In 1505, the small Church of St Nicholas by Giorgio Spavento was built to close off the courtyard on the north side.

Today, the flats house a permanent exhibition dedicated to the figure of the doge and the city of Venice.

Institutional Chambers (Part I)

The tour of the institutional halls begins on the third floor of the palace . All you have to do is walk down the Golden Staircase and you will find yourself in the first room of the tour .

Square Atrium

The last step of the golden staircase leads to the square atrium.

This room leads to the hall where the most important meetings of the political life of the Venetian Republic took place.

In the center of the ceiling, Doge Girolamo Priuli (1559-1567), the eponymous saint and the symbols of peace and justice are depicted on an octagonal canvas by Tintoretto.

Eight side paintings with putti symbolizing biblical episodes and seasons were also painted by Tintoretto’s workshop. Currently on display are sacred scenes painted in the second half of the 16th century : the ‘Annunciation to the Shepherds’ by Girolamo Bassano and three canvases attributed to Veronese: ‘Adam and Eve Driven from Paradise’, ‘Prayer in the Garden’ and ‘St. John Writing the Apocalypse’.

Hall of the Four Doors

The Hall of the Four Gates was a solemn hall that filled the entire width of the floor , from the courtyard to the Rio. This hall served as a place for high-ranking representatives waiting to be admitted to the Council and as a link between the halls where the highest executive offices of the Republic met.

After a fire in 1574 , it was restored according to plans by Andrea Palladio and Giovanni Antonio Rusconi. The barrel vault is decorated with gold and stucco work by Giovanni Battista Cambi, known as Bombarda.

The iconographic program of the ceiling is the work of the polyglot Francesco Sansovino.

Above the vault are allegorical figures, gods, putti, winged spirits, sirens, tritons and other grotesques .

The frescoes by Jacopo Tintoretto , of which little remains because they had to be restored due to weather and humidity problems, emphasize the strong symbolism.

The canvas, elliptical in shape, shows the personification of Venice and its subordinate cities (Verona, Brescia, Istria, Padua, Friuli, Treviso, Vicenza and Altino), with broad strokes depicting Jupiter ceding control of the Adriatic to Venice, Juno bestowing Venice with the insignia of power, and Venice removing the yoke of slavery.

There are canvases by Giambattista Tiepolo, Neptune Offering a Gift to Venice , made in 1758, and Venice Leaning on the World, by Niccolò Bambini.

Each of the four doors designed by Andrea Palladio features a sculptural group that recalls the activity of the governing body of the hall accessed:

• Vigilance, Eloquence, Ease of Hearing for the College
• Peace, Pallas, War for the Senate
• Authority, Religion, Justice for the Council of Ten
• Secrecy, Diligence, Loyalty for the Chancellery.

The decorations on the walls include votive scenes and re-enactments of historical events.

Antichamber of College 

The Antichamber of College was the antechamber of honor where foreign delegations, Venetian ambassadors and magistrates returned from their duties to be received by the Serenissima Signoria .

This room was also damaged by fire in 1574 and was restored according to plans by Palladio and Vincenzo Scamozzi. On the pedestal above the monumental fireplace with the two marble telamons is a relief of Venus asking Vulcan for weapons for Aeneas.

The same technique is used for the wall and ceiling decorations , made by Marco D’Agnolo in 1576-77. In the centre of the ceiling is an image of Venus asking Vulcan for weapons for Aeneas.

In the centre of the ceiling is an octagon frescoed by Paolo Veronese depicting the distribution of wealth and honours by Venice.

On the walls are four mythological canvases by Jacopo Tintoretto, originally made for the square atrium: Mercury and the goddesses, Pallas driving out Mars, Arianus being picked up by Bacchus and The Forge of Vulcan . The allegories of these seasons can be interpreted as signifying the wise and reflective politics of the Republic.

Above the tympanum of the portal leading to the College Hall are three sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria personifying Venice, Concordia and Glory.

Senate Hall

The Senate, also called the Council of Pregates , consisted of a committee of 60 nobles and an equal number of nobles called Zonta.

During the meetings, the Senate was joined by the Small Council, the Quarantia, the Avogadori di Comun, the Council of Ten, the Saviours and, if necessary, other magistrates, making a total of 200 members.

This room was also restored by Antonio da Ponte after the fire.

The ceiling is wooden , with a central painting of the Triumph of Venice by Domenico Tintoretto, surrounded by various autographs depicting the virtues of the Republic.

The walls of the hall are decorated with two clocks , one of which depicts the twelve signs of the zodiac, allegorical scenes and votive paintings from the late 16th century.

Above the courtyard is a painting by Jacopo Tintoretto and Officina della morte di Cristo, supported by angels worshipped by Abbots Pietro Lando and Marcantonio Trevisan, and the triumphal return of Christ by Parma the Younger to Abbots Lorenzo and Girolamo Priuli.

Other paintings in this room are by Tintoretto, Parma the Younger, Tiepolo and Marco Vecellio .

Hall of the Council of Ten

This room housed a committee of ten, a small council and a commission consisting of at least one avogador from the comun .

Secret meetings were held here on sensitive issues such as national tranquility and prosperity, public order and morality, the punishment of crimes committed by political prisoners and nobles, and the morals and manners of citizens.

To achieve its goals, the commission could also resort to torture .

There are wooden bumps around the room where the deputies sat, but the bumps on the semicircular platform are missing.

A door led to the office behind and, via a staircase, to the prison.

The walls are painted with putti, allegorical figures and the coat-of-arms of Doge Francesco Dona on a frieze by Giambattista Zelotti, the Adoration of the Three Doctors by Antonio Ariense and the Peace of Bologna between Charles V and Clement VII from 1530 by Marco Vecellio, canvases from the late 16th and early 17th century adorn the walls.

They are by Giambattista Poncino da Castelfranco and Paolo Veronese. A series of chiaroscuro paintings with allegorical and symbolic subjects surround large panels depicting the gods and greatness of the Republic.

Compass Hall

The name of this room comes from the compass door in the corner of the room. The compass leads to two hidden passages above the statue of Justice .

From here, witnesses, lawyers and defendants could enter and leave the room where the trials of the three heads of the Supreme Court of the Republic, the Council of Ten and the Magistrate’s Court took place.

The place where the magistrate’s organs sat was connected to the old prison by a staircase that ascended from the well to the ponds .

In the center of the ceiling is a canvas depicting St. Mark Crowned with the Theological Virtues , a 19th-century copy of Paolo Veronese’s original, now in the Louvre after it was stolen by the French in 1797.

Down two flights of stairs you will find yourself inside the armory .

The armory collection consists of four rooms and includes more than two thousand weapons for the most diverse uses.

The first exhibition room , called the ‘Gattamelata Room’ after the armor of the condottiere Erasmo da Narni, known as Gattamelata, contains profiles of horses and their armor from the 16th century. Also on display are models of swords from various epochs, a model of a crossbow, a typical painted leather tulkassi for storing arrows and a lantern from a Turkish ship taken from the enemy (with its characteristic crescent moon).

The second gallery is decorated with the triangular Turkish flag at the famous Battle of Lepanto in 1571. In the center is an inscription in honor of Allah and his prophet Muhammad, with a verse from the Koran embroidered on the border. Of particular note is the armor donated to the Republic by Henry IV of France during his visit in 1604. Also in this room are two ornate fire lances, several broadswords and a 15th century horse’s head armor.

Room III takes its name from the bust of Francesco Morosini in the back niche; during the war against the Turks from 1684 to 1688, the admiral was appointed supreme commander of the Venetian fleet and was given the honorary nickname Peloponnesian; in 1688 he became doge. This room contains numerous swords, pikes, arrowheads and crossbows, often inscribed or painted with CX’s initials. A culverin from the mid 16th century, a small decorated cannon and a 17th century arquebus with 20 barrels (10 long and 10 short) can also be seen in this room.

Various types of weapons are displayed in Room IV, including a 16th century fire crossbow, a fire club, an axe, a fire sword and an arquebus from the 17th century. Of interest are the so-called ‘Devil’s Box’, a trap that conceals poisoned arrows, four gun barrels that explode when opened and a trap. In this room are torture instruments, chastity belts and various weapons that were banned because they were small and easy to hide. They belonged to the Carrara family of Padua, exterminated by the Venetians in 1405.

Institutional Chambers (Part II)

From the armory, you will descend a few flights of stairs to the second floor of the palace to continue your tour of the institutional rooms.

This room was used as an antechamber to the Great Council Hall .

The gilded beamed ceiling dates back to the 16th century and features works by Domenico Tintoretto (Governor Giovanni Bembo in front of Venice, depicting sailors, transformations and allegorical figures presenting a model of a galley in Santa Giustina), Jacopo Palma (in front of the Virgin with figures representing the city, religion and discord, Patriarch Marcantonio Memmo), among others.

On display in the adjacent vestibule are the sketch of the mosaic for the second external portal of St. Mark’s Basilica by Sebastiano Ricci (‘Arrival in Venice of the Body of St. Mark’) and three sculptures by Antonio Rizzo (‘Adam and Eve’, ‘The Shield Bearer’), intended to decorate the Foscari Arch.

Hall of the Quarantia Civil Vecchia

The room housed the Magistracy of the Council of Forty , which operated in judicial matters. In the 15th century, the Council was divided into three councils:

• The Criminal Quarantine for Criminal Offences
• The Quarantia Civil Vecchia for the Lawsuits and Appeals of the City Venice
• The Quarantia Civil Nuova for the Lawsuits and Appeals of the Mainland

The space, which took on its original conformation in the 17th century, is dominated by the large Gothic window on the side of the river , and preserves behind the wooden dossals on the perimeter, traces of a fresco from the previous decoration.

The 17th-century canvases depict themes related to the celebration of Venice.

Guariento Hall

This small room was used as an ammunition depot, as well as a resting place for the military corps that supervised the meetings of the Great Council.

The interior houses the large 14th-century fresco by Guariento , which was found under Tintoretto’s painting of Paradise, and then detached and relocated in 1903. The work represents the Coronation of the Virgin seated on a throne next to the Redeemer.

Great Council Hall

The wing of the Doge’s Palace facing St. Mark’s Basilica is almost entirely occupied by the Hall of the Great Council , where the Plenary Council of the Republic was held.

The Doge sat in the center of the hall with his councillors, surrounded by the three heads of the Council of Ten , the Quarantia Criminale, the Avogadori di Comun and the censors, while those entitled to vote sat on the side seats surrounding the hall and on the double seats in rows of nine.

The huge hall, measuring 53 meters long and 25 meters wide , could seat more than 2,000 people , occupying almost the entire wing of the palace facing St. Mark’s Basilica.

The wooden ceiling is completely covered with gilded and painted canvases , and its structure consists of a system of beams and trusses capable of supporting the heavy ceiling without the aid of columns.

The walls are covered with large canvases depicting episodes from the history of Venice, such as the Fourth Crusade in 1202 and The Peace of Venice, which concerns relations with the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.

The canvases that adorn the roof of the room depict the deeds and virtues of valiant Venetian citizens , while in the center is the Triumph of Venice Crowned with Victory , an allegorical eulogy of the Republic by Veronese. It depicts a Venice crowned with glory and surrounded by honor, peace and happiness, with the entire Venetian society, from the nobility to the people, protected by mounted guards.

Toward the courtyard are depicted twelve episodes relating to the events of Alexander III and Frederick Barbarossa .

Under the ceiling is a frieze by Tintoretto , with portraits of the first 76 doges of Venice (804-1556).

At the end of the room is a painting of “Paradise” painted by Jacopo Tintoretto between 1588 and 1592.

The painting features Jesus and Mary as protagonists, with the light descending on them and the Holy Spirit descending right on the tympanum of the throne on which the Doge sits.

The theme is not only religious, but also an allegory of good governance , of the light that enters the figure of the Doge and the divine essence that enables him to always make the right decision.

Scrutiny Hall

By trespassing through the corridors and adjoining rooms where the Quarantia Civil Nuova was opened, one arrives at the voting room .

Before being destined for this purpose, it housed precious manuscripts donated by Francesco Petrarca and Cardinal Bressanone to the Venetian Republic and later transferred to the Biblioteca Marciana.

The original works in this room were destroyed by fire in 1577 . The new design was created by Cristoforo Forte.

The wall paintings depict the illustrious exploits of the citizens of Venice . Of particular note is the painting of the Last Judgement by Jacopo da Palma il Giovane (1594 – 1595).

The Picture Gallery

Starting in 1615, a nucleus of paintings owned by Cardinal Domenico Grimani, and acquired by the Venetian Republic after his death, was exhibited to the public in the rooms of the Doge’s Palace. The Flemish easel paintings, which had nothing to do with the history of the place, were soon permanently exhibited in the rooms of the Palace.

Marco Boschini, in his ‘ Guide to Paintings ‘ in Venice in 1664, mentions ’15 small paintings by Civetta (Heri de Bresse) in the path leading to the Council of Ten room, and a triptych of crucified saints, the Martyrdom of Santa Liberata, by Jeronymus Bosch’.

In 1773, Anton Maria Zanetti confirmed that the 15 paintings Boschini had seen a century earlier were in the palace.

Zanetti stated that these were eight landscapes in the antique style , a triptych and four compositions ‘with eccentric inventions’, which he attributed to Civetta, and which were exhibited in the Sala dei Tre Capi of the Council of X from 1771, together with the triptych of Santa Liberata.

In the 1770s, in an attempt to re-establish this tradition, a space was created in the hall of the Magistrate of Laws , together with the hall of the Three Chiefs, to display the original paintings existing in the palace, including the panels by Yeronymus Bosch , now in the Accademia Gallery in Venice.

The building was also used as the main exhibition space of the Palace .

The current layout of the Hall of the Criminal Quarantia , the Hall of the Hides and the Hall of the Magistrate of Laws was part of this tradition, where easel paintings from private collections were also exhibited, alongside decorative apparatus.

The Vision of the Apocalypse , the only Flemish work visible to the public in the palace after 1615, had previously been attributed to Owl, but is now attributed to an anonymous follower of Bosch.

Next to it is a 16th century Flemish painting by Maarten de Vos . Next to it are 16th century Flemish paintings by Maerten de Vos, Quentin Metsys and Frans Floris .

The other rooms display masterpieces by the best of Venetian art – Giovanni Bellini, Titian, Jacopo Tintoretto and Giambattista Tiepolo – Anthony van Dyck . The exhibition also includes works by the ‘heroine’ painter Artemisia Gentileschi .

Criminal Quarantia and Leather Hall

This room was one of the three Quarantia (the highest courts of appeal in the Venetian state); the Quarantia Criminal, founded in the 15th century, dealt with criminal decisions .

Its members were also members of the Senate, which also gave them legislative powers. The hall is decorated with wooden stalls dating back to the 17th century .

The next room was the archive of this judiciary.

It is assumed that the walls were lined with shelves and cupboards , of which the one on the back wall is an example. The gold-embroidered leather called ‘cuoridoro’ on the other walls is not original furniture.

Hall of the Magistrate of Laws

This room housed the authority of the administrators and enforcers of the laws and orders of the municipal offices of St. Mark’s and Rialto, created in 1553 and entrusted to three patricians whose task was to enforce the laws that regulated the legal profession.

In Venice, a pre-eminent commercial city, the judicial branch was of great importance (one thinks first of all of the enormous number of lawsuits, disputes and trials caused by the existence of such a vast market as the Rialto).

Bridge of Sighs and New Prisons

The construction of the bridge took place in the early 17th century, in conjunction with the renovation of the prison of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, which had been devastated by the great fire of 1577.

The interior consists of two narrow corridors separated by thick walls , the first leading to the Hall of the Magistracy and the second to the Hall of Avogadria and the Parlatory.

In 1602, Doge Marino Grimani commissioned the Swiss-Italian architect Antonio Contin, grandson of Antonio da Ponte, the architect who built the Rialto Bridge .

The plan was to build new prisons of modern design , on the opposite bank of the Rio di Palazzo, and to connect them to the Doge’s Palace by means of the bridge , designed as a completely closed suspended passage to prevent prisoners from escaping.

After crossing the Rialto Bridge, you will find yourself directly inside the New Prisons, where you can observe the old prison cells of the building until you reach the inner courtyard.

The last room of the prisons displays archaeological finds with interesting examples of handicrafts, especially ceramics, from different eras, from Roman to modern times, collected during excavations carried out by the Venice Environmental and Architectural Heritage Office as part of the restoration of the historic center and the lagoon.

The oldest specimens come from the deepest part of the excavations carried out in 1902 in St. Mark’s Square after the collapse of the bell tower, where fragments of Roman, late antique and early medieval amphorae and numerous food remains (animal bones and mollusk shells) were found, as well as other more recent artefacts dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

Excavations in the church of San Lorenzo di Castello, on the other hand, yielded Byzantine and Middle Eastern vases from the 11th and 12th centuries, as well as locally produced common pottery from the 9th and 10th centuries and Middle Eastern ceramics from the 11th-12th centuries.

A large quantity of graffito ceramics was also found. Bowls, plates, basins and jugs; most of the material, estimated to date between the 14th and 16th centuries, comes from the excavations at Malamocco and from the National Archives in Venice (formerly the Frari Monastery), where a few shards of imported ceramics, in particular of Hispano-Moorish origin, were recovered in association with local pottery.

Findings from the restoration of the New Prisons and the restoration of the National Archives document the continuity and consistency of local manufacturing over the centuries until the early 19th century.

Institutional Halls (Part III)

After crossing the Bridge of Sighs and the New Prisons you will be taken back inside the Doge’s Palace, where you can complete your tour of the institutional rooms .

Hall of Censors

Here is a room dedicated to judicial bodies : the figure of the Censor was established in 1517 on the initiative of Marco Foscari di Giovanni, cousin of Doge Andrea Gritti (1523-1538) and nephew of the great Francesco Foscari.

In reality, the censor was not a judging body but a moral advisor . A series of paintings by Domenico Tintoretto depict various magistrates on the walls, with the coats of arms of those who held this office underneath.

Avogaria Hall

The Avogaria de Comun, as its name suggests, is a very old judicial institution, dating back to the Commune period (12th century), where the task of the three avogadors was to uphold the principle of legality , i.e. the correct application of the law.

Until the fall of the republic, it constituted, after the Council of Ten, the most authoritative administrative body for the defense of the law.

They also controlled the purity of the nobility , i.e. the legitimacy of noble marriages and births recorded in the Golden Book. In this room, the avogadors are depicted performing acts of devotion in the presence of the Virgin, the risen Christ and the saints.

Casket Room

The Venetian aristocracy originated from the ‘ Serrata ‘ of the Grand Council in 1297, but only later, at the beginning of the 16th century, was a set of rules decided upon to protect the nobility.

Marriages between nobles and people of different social classes were banned and checks to confirm the title of nobility were strengthened.

Thus, if someone did not formally notify themselves, they risked being excluded from the nobility and, consequently, from participation in the Grand Council and political activity.

Thereafter, all nobles, regardless of the social status of their wives, were obliged to present the marriage certificate to the avogaria .

In other words, in addition to the requirements of ‘civility’ and ‘honor’, these were people who could boast ancient Venetian origins , i.e. those who provided the state with a host of officials, including the ducal secretariat.

The gold book and the silver book were kept in the casket in this room. The one seen today, which occupies three sides of the niche, dates back to the 18th century and is lacquered white and decorated with gold .

Militia da Mar Hall

Established in the mid-16th century, this body consisted of about twenty members of the Senate and the Great Council and was responsible for recruiting crews for the war galleys.

This was not an easy task, given the numbers needed for the vast Venetian fleet.

This office was associated with a magistrate called proveditori all’armar, who was mainly in charge of the fitting out and dismantling of ships, i.e. the hull and provisions on board.

The furniture in the dossal hall dates back to the 16th century, while the torches on the walls date back to the 18th century.

The next room was the office of the Lower Chancellery . From here one could exit into the loggia, overlooking the Scala dei Giganti.

Special tours of the Doge’s Palace

Secret itineraries.

The ‘ Secret Itineraries ‘ guided tour includes, in addition to the canonical tour of the palace, described in the previous paragraphs, the guided tour inside the rooms used for the administration of justice in criminal cases . The name ‘secret’ alludes to the fact that these rooms are hidden in the palace , behind closed doors.

The tour starts from the prisons on the ground floor, then the visitor will be led through the ‘secret’ rooms of the Doge’s Palace where officials of the bureaucracy had their offices and where the supreme judicial body of the Council of Ten met, and finally the secret archive , where the most important state documents were kept.

The tour will take the visitor up to the attic where the upper cells, called Piombi , are located, in which political prisoners, sometimes foreigners, were locked up, including the famous Giacomo Casanova , who also managed to escape in 1757.

The tour will end in the square atrium hall , from where you can continue your tour of the palace on your own.

You can find out more about this visit by visiting the article on the Secret Itineraries of the Doge’s Palace Venice.

The Doge’s Hidden Treasures

This guided tour allows you to visit the private routes, secret rooms and passages reserved for the Doge , including the privilege of admiring St. Mark’s Square from the loggia from which the Doge contemplated between two red columns.

The tour starts at the Loggia Foscara, and from here a trained guide will take you to the Foscari arch terrace, the secret archive , the treasure room , and the doge’s private chapel .

The tour ends in the antichiesetta room, and from here you can resume the visit of the palace on your own.

Read on to discover the visit route in detail .

You can find out more about this visit by clicking on the button below.

Doge’s Palace tour Venice: FAQ

The average visit lasts two hours. However, it depends on how much you want to explore the different rooms and works, who you are travelling with, and how much time you have available. If you would like to know more, read the article on how long a visit to the Doge’s Palace Venice lasts .

If you would like to visit the Doge’s Palace on your own, you can purchase a ticket for the Doge’s Palace . If, on the other hand, you would like to visit the building together with a professional tour guide, you can purchase a ticket for a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace .

The full price ticket to the Doge’s Palace costs €30, the reduced one €16. For more information, read the article on the cost of tickets for the Doge’s Palace in Venice .

The standard ticket for the Doge’s Palace Venice includes a visit to the Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Basilica Marciana.

Of course! You can follow the self-guided walking tour found in this article and visit the Doge’s Palace in Venice on your own.

Doge’s Palace self guided tour: conclusions

Here we are at the end of this long post on visiting the Doge’s Palace in Venice, in which I have listed in succession all the rooms you will be able to visit and the secret itineraries provided by the museum.

If you have any doubts or other questions, leave a comment below , I will be happy to answer you!

Related posts

Doge’s Palace Hidden Treasures Tour: Useful Info, Review, Tickets

Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries Tour: Useful Info, Review, Tickets

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I did the Secret Itinerary one and loved it, but the new one sounds great also! Sorry, I know that is not much help. I guess it would depend on what interests you more: the behind the scenes intrigue or the behind the scenes every day life.

Definitely, though, book ahead on-line. These do sell out.

Thanks for the response. I took your advice and tried to book. They're sold out all three days we are there--the Hidden Treasures was available so went with that one.

Glad you got something! I don't think you could go wrong, the Hidden Treasures ones sounds really interesting and different!

Could you please possibly report back here on the new Hidden Treasures Tour? I asked earlier this month if anyone had been on it yet and received absolutely no response, so none of the regular posters, including me, have done the tour yet. It would be great to have some feedback.

would you mind telling us if the hidden treasure tour is worth it?

It has not been going long, seems we are yet to get any feed back on it,

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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