THE DOGE’S PALACE IN VENICE: WORKS, ENTRANCE TICKETS AND OPENING TIMES

The Doge’s Palace in Venice is a must see for every tourist who visits the lagoon city.

The building lies next to the Basilica of St. Mark, and sums up all the history of Venice, its conquests, battles and domination over the Mediterranean Sea.

The Doge’s Palace in Venice was the residence of the Doge, and was used for the administration of justice and for political and legislative activity.
Each statue, each painting and each capital is located in this building with the specific purpose of showing the power and the wealth of Venice to the world (as I’ve already explained in the post I dedicated to the history of the Doge’s Palace).

THE DOGE’S PALACE IN VENICE: WORKS TO SEE

It is difficult to make a list of must-sees inside the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
My advice is to walk through all the rooms, because you will see the places where the political and administrative life of Venice took place, but you will also see the Doge’s private flat and the Prisons made famous by Silvio Pellico and from where Giacomo Casanova escaped. Along the way you will also have the opportunity to cross the Bridge of Sighs, which connects the Doge’s Palace to the Prisons.

Along the way you will find the works of Venice’s most important artists, from Jacopo Tintoretto to Paolo Veronese and many others.
The unmissable works are definitely the paintings in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, which are worth admiring at length.
Here are the 3 works you absolutely must not miss if you visit the Doge’s Palace:

Paradise by Tintoretto – In the Sala del Maggior Consiglio is a huge painting. It was painted by Jacopo Robusti, known as ‘il Titoretto’, between 1588 and 1592 and describes Paradise but, although the scene may seem religious, the work is above all an allegory of Good Government. In fact, in this scene that seems chaotic and populated by too many characters, one can see the Doge being struck by a divine light, thus being invested by the Holy Spirit that enables him to make the right decisions.

Il Paradiso di Tintoretto al Palazzo Ducale di Venezia

Veronese’s Triumph of Venice – there is a painting by Paolo Veronese in the Doge’s Palace in Venice that is worth admiring at length. It was painted by the artist, born in Verona in 1528, for the wooden ceiling of the Great Council Chamber and still stands in its place today. If you look up to the sky, you will see a work consisting of a large number of characters but which places a woman, or rather a queen, at the centre of the scene.
That woman depicts the city of Venice at the moment when she is about to be crowned by a winged Victory. The painting is full of symbols to be spotted, for example you can see that among the figures of the people there is a soldier caressing a white dog, that is the symbol of Loyalty.

Il Trionfo di Venezia di Paolo Veronese al Palazzo Ducale di Venezia

Tiepolo’s Gifts of the Sea – walking through the rooms of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, one comes across a painting that Tiepolo painted in 1758. The work is famously entitled ‘Neptune offers his gifts to Venice‘ and features the God of the Sea and Venice, who receives gifts contained in a cornucopia.
Here Venice is depicted as a beautiful woman, resting her arm on the symbol of her power, the lion of St Mark.

Giambattista Tiepolo – Venezia riceve l’omaggio di Nettuno – 1745-50

THE DOGE’S PALACE IN VENICE: OPENING HOURS

From April 1st to October 31st 8.30 am – 7 pm (last admission 6 pm).
From November 1st to March 31st 8.30 am – 5.30 pm (last admission 4.30 pm)
Special opening: December 25th and January 1st Opening hours: 11am – 7pm

DOGE’S PALACE: TICKETS

A single ticket valid for the Doge’s Palace and the combined itinerary of Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana.
This ticket is valid for 3 months and grants one single admission to the Doge’s Palace and the combined itinerary.

Book your tickets for the Doge’s Palace on line: Doge’s Palace – Skip the Line

You can also enter the Doge’s Palace in Venice with the Museum Pass, the card that opens the doors to the city’s most important museums, a combined ticket to visit the Doge’s Palace and 10 other museums in Venice.

DOGE’S PALACE: HOW TO GET THERE

The Doge’s Palace is in San Marco Square.

From Piazzale Roma: Line 1, Vallaresso or San Zaccaria stop; Line 2 Giardinetti stop; Line 5.1 or Line 4.1, San Zaccaria stop.
From Santa Lucia Railway Station: Line 1, Vallaresso or San Zaccaria stop; Line 2 Giardinetti stop; Line 5.1 or Line 4.1, San Zaccaria stop From Lido di Venezia: Line 1, Vallaresso or San Zaccaria stop; Line 5.2, San Zaccaria stop

READ ALSO: Things to see in Venice.