Doge's Palace

Around 700 AD the first Doge was elected.  Between the 800 and 1100 Venice developed into an individual city state (from previously being occupied by the Byzintine empire), and by the 1300's become one of the most powerful and wealthiest cities in the world.  


This Doge's palace was built from 1309 to 1324, and was not only the ducal residence but also housed the political institution of the Republic of Venice until the Napoleonic occupation of the city in 1797, which ended the reign of the Doges.  The palace was badly damaged by a fire in 1577, and thus almost all of the fancy interior is done in renaissance from that period of time, although the exterior is Gothic.  

Night shot of the exterior

From the Courtyard.

Photos were not allowed on the inside, so I grabbed these photos from the internet from other not so compliant visitors.  I could not believe the scale and details of this grand counsel room (below). Especially the ceiling, simply amazing!  

The paintings on the ceiling were all religious.  Aka either the Madonna, crucifixion, or Ascension of Mary.  I was surprised at the lack of representation of the living and/or grown up Jesus Christ.  I found this to be true in the museums as well.  It makes me a little sad that His life before and after his crucifixion was not more celebrated, and makes me extremely thankful for our beliefs and focus in the LDS church.  

The paintings on the wall depicted a lot of historical events of venice, either someone being crowned or a bloody battle scene.  

This was one of my favorite rooms, all the walls has different maps from around the world.  Of course it is missing the Americas.  The globe was added in the 1700's, and good old america is well represented on that one.