Roland and Stephanie's Semimoon

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Jenn and I (Roland and Stephanie were still on their Murano excursion) first visited the Doge's Palace. Now a huge museum, the palace is not only a masterpiece of architecture (Italian Gothic), but also houses important collections (like the armory) and is an invaluable accounting of the history of the venetian republic.

courtesy JInnes

Heads of different races

Main Courtyard, Doge's Palace

Giant's Staircase

After visiting the ornate inner courtyard, we began to explore the interior. After walking up the Giant's Staircase and the Golden Staircase, we began to walk through the floors of the second level. We walked through chamber after elaborate chamber, with intricate ceiling and wall carvings surrounding paintings by master painters of the renaissance. These chambers were mostly used as meeting or administrative rooms for the political bodies that ruled and managed the venetian republic - The Council Chamber, Senate Chamber, Chamber of the Ten.

courtesy JInnes

Courtyard Wellhead

Monopola's Clock

The Lion's Mouth

Engraved Prayer

The Golden Staircase

The Four Doors Room

The Council Chamber

The Senate Chamber

Ceiling detail, Senate Chamber

Chamber of Ten

After the grand chambers of the second floor, we next visited the armory, which contains a big collection of various weaponry items: 15th and 16th century suits of armor, swords, halberds, and crossbows; additionally, the armory contains many examples of early firearms from the 16th and 17th century. And finally, and soberingly, implements of torture and various "illegal" weapons. Overall, a huge collection of items - a collection that we only were able to cursorily view.

Equestrian Suit of Armor

Armory Weapons

Wheellock pistols

Styled window, Doge's Palace

Riva degli Schiavoni

Grand Council Hall

After the armory, we fittingly visited the palace's prisons. Accessed via the famous ponte sospiri (bridge of sighs), the prison rooms are located in an adjacent building complex, separated from the main palace by a canal. A dark, bleak place, full of rough stone. A stark contrast to the richly-decorated ruling chambers.

Bridge of Sighs

New Prison

Prison Chambers

Back across Bridge of Sighs

Giant's Staircase

Doge's Palace

Our alloted time for visiting the Doge's palace was quickly drawing to a close, so we hurried through the prison complex and then walked back to the palace's inner courtyard and then out through the monumental Foscari Arch, back into the Piazza San Marco. There, we met back up with Roland and Stephanie, who had just completed the watery journey back from the island of Murano.

courtesy RHanel

Venetian Vaporetto

Lagoon Police

Water-ambulance

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