Once upon a time, visitors to Venice would come ashore beneath the facade of this remarkable palace. Their admiration for its vastness and the elegance of its architecture was unavoidable.
If the Doges welcomed them, the impression would only grow as they passed through the Porta della Carta, a magnificent example of Venetian Gothic at its height, and climbed the towering Scala dei Giganti and the gold-vaulted Scala d’Oro before being welcomed in Sala del Collegio, a room that many people believe to be the palace’s most stunning space.
Even jaded tourists from the twenty-first century are amazed by the palace’s grandeur and expensive decorations. All the great Venetian artists are represented, including Tintoretto, whose Paradise is the enormous oil painting in the entire world.
A stroll across the Bridge of Sighs to the dark cells of the Prigioni, the jails from which Casanova made his infamous escape, is included in private tours but is not accessible to the general public. The Ponte della Paglia, located on the Riva Degli Schiavoni behind the Doge’s Palace, has the most excellent perspective of the Bridge of Sighs and is a famous postcard location.
The Doge’s Palace frequently has large lines for admittance, but if you purchase a Skip the Line: Doge’s Palace Ticket and Tour, you can skip these lines and view parts of the palace that are not accessible to ordinary tourists. Before guiding you under the Bridge of Sighs and inside the renowned jail, a local guide will escort you through the lines and discuss the history and artwork in each opulent apartment.