29th June 2000 Venice: Doge's Palace
Trip Start
Apr 27, 2000
1
64
81
Trip End
Aug 09, 2000
Venice,
Italy
Thursday, June 26, 2003
The weather had turned again, and it was glorious from the outset. We completed our Grand Canal trip by 9.29 am, pleasing the ticket inspector no end. As we had returned to St Marks so early, most of the tourists who come each day from the mainland or the Lido, hadn't yet arrived, and there was no queue at the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace). We had noted that on most days, the queues to both the Palace and the Duomo were hundreds of metres long, so we had been lucky both here and at the Acadamia.
The Doge's Palace had to be the highlight of all the major palaces we have visited in Paris or Italy. It may not be on the scale of Versailes, but is much better preserved, and is a more tastefully decorated or appointed building. I guess it is aided by the fact that the private residential rooms of the palace were always furnished with the Doges private furniture and art. Upon his death, the family would strip it bare, and the next Doge move his furniture in. As a consequence, when the Republic was terminated, the furniture was removed and the rooms left unadorned.
The rooms that are decorated, are the official business rooms and the public rooms such as the sitting/waiting rooms. All of the governing groups and committees had meeting rooms, ranging in size up to a vast room to accomodate the Great Council, the size of a ballroom, and decorated with paintings by Tintorettoand others, that fill entire walls.
Even the entry is spectacular. Initially through the Porta della Carta (the Paper Gate, named for the scribes who set up tables outside), up the Giants' Staircase (the giants being the oversized statues of Mars and Neptune, that flank the stairs at the top), along the internal verandah, looking down into the staircase, and then up the Golden Staircase to the next three levels. This was built to impress even the most powerful of visiting kings from Europe. It is still impressive.
Again the Walking Guide is invaluable here. It walks you through the building better than anything provided by the information offices etc. Tales of the horrors of the Venetian legal system. The use of "informants" to anonymously accuse people of any number of crimes that might threaten the Republic. The use of small isolation rooms for the accused, to intimidate them before appearing before the court. The young men who had their hands chopped off, their tongues ripped out, and then beheaded, because they were members of the nobility, but had brought their station into disrepute by going on the town in a drunken revelry.
It is the sort of experience that inspires you to want to know a lot more about the history of the Venetian Republic. I had briefly touched on it in studying the economic history of the Mediteranean, almost thirty years ago, but now I have to know a lot more. I cannot imagine ever holidaying in Europe, without stopping off in Venice for a top up.
We finished by crossing the Bridge of Sighs into the New Prison. Talk about luxury and pampered prisoners. Prison reform was a major issue, and it was decided to build this new prison beside the Palace. Barred windows were installed, some of the cells had timber and stone beds installed, and timber panneling around the walls. They even reduced the numbers per cell down to 10 or so, and tried to separate the debtors from violent criminals. To cap it all off, they even let charitable organisations provide food to keep them alive, and raise money to employ lawers to mount appeals, or pay off debts.
I almost forgot the weaponry section. four or so rooms with the most marvelous collection of weapons from the middle ages through to the 1700's. A sword with a gun in the hilt. The bible, with a miniture gun in a hidden compartment cut into the pages. Ornate bronze cannon with increadibly detailed decorations carved into them. Swords longer than most men would have been tall (for use on horseback maybe?). Ugly looking pikes, with studded shafts so that they would both deflect swords and allow them maintain there grip when covered in blood. Ugly, ugly, ugly. Suits of armour, including one that had to be for a five year old. The great lanterns that sat high on the stern of their ships.
After four hours, we left the Palace for home and lunch, and then at 6.00 pm, went out in search of a mask for Alison. Not only was this succssful, but we found the gondola building yard, which is unique in that the original builders were originally from the alps, so their houses are more like small chalets. As Gelato Nico was closed, we walked up to Campo Santa Margherita, where we discovered Il Doge, which was close to the best gelato we had in Italy, and good value. We sat in the campo to eat it and watched students and their families celebrating their graduation. Many rounds of "Dotoro, dotoro etc etc". Also much excitment around the bars and cafes as Italy battled it out against Holland in the soccer.
