The History of the Doge's Palace and the Venetian Republic
From a 9th-century fortress to the Gothic seat of a maritime empire — the story of the palace at the heart of the Most Serene Republic.
For most of a thousand years the Doge's Palace was the seat of the Venetian Republic — home to the elected Doge, meeting place of its councils, and seat of its courts. Venice was a republic without a king, governed by its merchant aristocracy, and the palace was the stage on which that unusual system performed its power.
Centuries of building and rebuilding
The building's origins reach back to the 9th century, but the structure we admire today took shape over centuries: the wing facing the lagoon was rebuilt from 1340, the wing toward St Mark's Square from 1424, and the Renaissance courtyard between 1483 and 1565. Devastating fires in 1574 and 1577 gutted parts of the interior, destroying works by Titian and others, but the Republic rebuilt and redecorated rather than rebuild anew — which is why so much of the great cycle of paintings dates from the later sixteenth century.
A Gothic masterpiece and World Heritage Site
A masterpiece of Venetian Gothic with Renaissance and Mannerist additions, the palace is among the most influential buildings in Europe. With the rest of the city it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 as 'Venice and its Lagoon'.
Frequently asked
What was the Doge's Palace used for?
It was the residence of the elected Doge and the seat of the government and courts of the Venetian Republic — at once palace, parliament and law court for one of Europe's great maritime powers.
How old is the Doge's Palace?
Its origins reach back to the 9th century, though the present Gothic structure took shape mainly in the 14th and 15th centuries, with a Renaissance courtyard added between 1483 and 1565 and restorations after fires in 1574 and 1577.