Palazzo Ducale - Venezia, Italy
Posted by: denben
N 45° 26.053 E 012° 20.388
33T E 291926 N 5034631
The Palazzo Ducale (English: Doge's Palace) is located on Piazza San Marco and immediately next to the San Marco Basilica in Venezia, Italy.
Waymark Code: WMX16V
Location: Veneto, Italy
Date Posted: 11/11/2017
Views: 17
The Doge's Palace is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the former Republic of Venice.
A first "Castello Ducale", erected under Doge Angelo Partecipazio in the 9th century, was built of wood. In 976 it burnt down during a revolution against the Doge Candiano; but under the domination of Pietro Orseolo a new fortress with three towers and a surrounding wall was rebuilt. From 1172 to 1178, doge Sebastiano Ziani, surely the most important medieval planner of Venice, built a new palace preserving the towers of the previous castle.
Since the 16th century, the palace has been linked to the prison by the Bridge of Sighs. As well as being the ducal residence, the palace housed political institutions of the Republic of Venice until the Napoleonic occupation of the city in 1797, when its role inevitably changed. Venice was subjected first to French rule, then to Austrian, and finally in 1866 it became part of Italy. Over this period, the palace was occupied by various administrative offices as well as housing the Biblioteca Marciana and other important cultural institutions within the city.
By the end of the 19th century, the structure was showing clear signs of decay, and the Italian government set aside significant funds for its restoration and all public offices were moved elsewhere, with the exception of the State Office for the protection of historical Monuments, which is still housed at the palace's loggia floor.
In 1923, the Italian State, owner of the building, entrusted the management to the Venetian municipality to be run as a museum. Since 1996, the Doge’s Palace has been part of the Venetian museums network, which has been under the management of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia since 2008.
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