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After exploring the courtyard, we began our self-guided tour of the institutional rooms of the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) in Venice, Italy. The palace is located just off Piazza San Marco in the UNESCO World Heritage city.
Golden Staircase
Tours begin by walking up a staircase from the courtyard to the loggia on the first floor, then up the Golden Staircase (Scala d’Oro). The entrance to the staircase is flanked by columns topped with statues depicting Hercules killing the Hydra and Atlas ruling the world. The entrance arch was built by Antonio Abbondi and the statues were made by Tiziano Aspetti.
Decorated by Alessandro Vittoria starting in 1557, the staircase contains pure gold leaf inlaid in white stucco with fresco panels painted by Giambattista Franco. The five ramps of the staircase lead up to the upper floors over two flights, and separates the Doge’s private apartments (closed at the time of my visit) from the institutional rooms.
Square Atrium
At the top of the Golden Staircase is the Square Atrium (Atrio Quadrato). It served as an antechamber to other halls. The room was decorated in the mid-16th century during the reign of Doge Girolamo Priuli. It contains a ceiling painted by Tintoretto as well as paintings by Francesco Bassano the Younger and Paolo Fiammingo.
Chamber of the Four Doors
Next is the Chamber of the Four Doors (Sala delle Quatro Porte), which unsurprisingly has four doors. Before a fire in 1574, the room was a meeting chamber for the Lordship (Signoria). It was then converted into a passageway to more important rooms in the palace. It was designed by Andrea Palladio and Giovan Antonio Rusconi with construction by Antonio da Ponte.
The room was painted by Tintoretto starting in 1578 and also contains paintings by Titian, Andrea Vicentino, and Tiepolo.
Antechamber to the College
Continuing on the tour, the next room is the Antechamber to the College (Sala dell’Anticollegio). It was a waiting room for foreign ambassadors and delegations who were to be received by the Full College.
The room contains paintings by Tintoretto originally planned for the Square Atrium. It was designed and built after 1574 by the same people who completed the Chamber of the Four Doors, with the ceiling painted by Paolo Veronese. Above the door are three sculptures by Alessandro Vittoria.
College Chamber
The room leads into the College Chamber (Sala del Collegio), which is where the Full College met. They were elected by the Senate to deal with foreign affairs, Venice’s mainland possessions, and maritime issues. Again, this room was designed by Palladio and Rusconi but built by da Ponte.
The room was painted by Tintoretto with the ceiling completed by Paolo Veronese. The ceiling is considered one of Veronese’s masterpieces, completed between 1575 and 1578.
Above the benches for the Doge and the six wise men (savi) is another painting by Veronese, Votive portrait of the doge Sebastiano Venier, portraying the doge kneeling and giving thanks for victory in the Battle of Lepanto. There’s also one face of a clock shared with the Senate Chamber (see below).
Senate Chamber
Next is the Senate Chamber (Sala del Senato), where the Venetian Senate (formally the Consiglio dei Pregadi) met. It was designed by Palladio after the 1574 fire and decorated in the 1580s by Tintoretto and Jacopo Palma il Giovane among others.
The ceiling was designed and completed in 1581 by Cristoforo Sorte. It was decorated by several painters including the two mentioned above. You can also see the other face of the clock that’s shared with the College Chamber.
Chamber of the Council of Ten
The Chamber of the Council of Ten (Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci) is where the Council of Ten met. The council was developed on July 10, 1310, as a temporary response to a revolt against the Doge led by Bajamonte Tiepolo, but ended up existing until Napoleon’s army conquered Venice in 1797. They were responsible for the security of the republic.
The ceiling was painted by Gian Battista Ponchino with help from Veronese and Gian Battista Zelotti. The oval in the center is a copy of the original painted by Veronese, then 26 years old, which was removed by Napoleon and is now exhibited in the Louvre in Paris.
Compass Room
Next is the Compass Room (Sala della Bussola), which served as an antechamber to those summoned by the magistrates. It contains a large wooden compass that hides the entrance to a few other chambers that can be visited on the Secret Itineraries tour. The ceiling was painted by Veronese and completed in 1554, while the paintings on the wall commemorate the victories of Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola.
Palace Armory
Finally, before heading down to see the rooms on the first floor, we walked through the Palace Armory (Armeria di Palazzo). It consists of four rooms and contains over 2,000 valuable pieces. On display is a suit of armor belonging to Gattamelata, items looted from the Ottomans after the Battle of Lepanto, crossbows, arrows, swords, and other weapons.
