Things You'll Need:
- Guidebook to Palazzo Duale or Venice
-
Step 1
Climb the Scala dei Giganti. Translated to mean Giants’ Staircase, this 15th-century staircase is crowned by statues of Mars and Neptune. The staircase will lead you to the first-floor loggia and the entrance to the State apartments.
-
Step 2
Tour the Sala dello Scudo. Once a section of the Doge’s private apartments, the walls of this room are covered with world maps. The room is anchored in the center by two large globes dating to the 18th century.
-
Step 3
See the Porta della Carta. Leading into the courtyard, this 15th-century gate originally served as the main entrance to the palace and a link to the Basilica. The name, which means “Paper Gate,” is thought to have originated from the practice of posting new laws and declarations on the door for the public to read.
-
Step 4
Visit the Sala del Maggior Consiglio. Known as The Hall of the Great Council, the sheer size of this room is impressive in its own right. Measuring 177 feet long by 83 feet wide, it was designed to function as a meeting room for the Great Council, which had as many as 2,000 voting members. A highlight of any visit to this room is Tintoretto’s masterpiece Paradise. Measuring nearly 25 feet tall by 81 feet wide, it is considered one of the largest paintings in the world.
-
Step 5
Explore the Sala della Bussola. In this room, prisoners awaited word on their fate from the Council of Ten, who protected state security. Directly adjacent is the State Inquisitor’s Room and the macabre Torture Chamber where prisoners were hung by their wrists from a rope connected to the ceiling.
-
Step 6
Tour the Armory. The Armory houses one of the finest collections of military regalia in Europe. Located on the second floor, the collection contains more than 2,200 examples of 15th- and 16th-century weapons and suits of armor.
