The center and most frequented part of the Venice is Saint Mark’s Square. Byron referred to St Mark’s Square as “the greatest drawing room in Europe” and Napoleon called it the finest square in Italy. At the eastern end are Saint Mark’s Cathedral and the Doges’ Palace (Palazzo Ducale) – two most important and imposing structures in Venice.

The first palace was built in 814 and was burned by the populace in 976. It was reconstructed, damaged by a second fire, and begun in its present form in the early 14th century. In 1424 the completion of this Venetian Gothic-style palace was undertaken, and the two identical facades… The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice and contained the offices of a number of political institutions, arranged around a central courtyard. The first floor was occupied by lawyers offices, the Chancellery, the Censors and the Naval Offices. Doge’s Palace or Palazzo Ducale first housed Doge Sebastiano Ziani. The original castle was destroyed in 976 during an uprising against Doge Pietro IV Candiano.

The new palace was enormously impressive. Huge walls of white limestone and pink marble were softened by porticos, finely wrought loggias, a crenellated roof and a series of balconies by Pier Paolo and Jacobello Dalle Masegne. The 36 capitals on the lower colonnade of the building have carvings of beasts, flowers and representations of the months of the year. Didactic moral sculptures represent scenes such as. The Palazzo Ducale is a superb example of Venetian Gothic architecture and even later vandalism didn’t spoil it. Work on the palace has barely stopped in the intervening centuries ( So as well as good medieval carvings you will see fine 19th century copies, and probably not be any the wiser.

The palace was a showplace for artistry, craftsmanship and architecture, and still exemplifies the splendour of Venetian Gothic style. As well as ruling the city state, the doges (a Venetian word from the Latin dux, meaning leader) were great patrons of the arts and the palace is filled with works by Venetian Renaissance masters such as Veronese and Tintoretto.

The Palace is the most representative symbol of Venice’s culture, which, together with the Basilica of San Marco at the back and the Piazza in the forefront, forms of the most famous sceneries in the world.