The New Student's Reference Work/Doge's Palace, The

Doge’s Palace, The. In Genoa as well as in Venice there is a palace once owned by the dukes or doges of the city; but while the former dates only from the 17th century and relatively is an insignificant building, the doge’s palace at Venice still is a splendid and interesting structure, though it was begun in 1300. Between 800 and 1300 three or four palaces were built for the doges and destroyed. The present building was then started, facing the sea and bordering the Rio del Palazzo Canal. Friezes from the earlier building were inserted in the new one. This palace was some distance from the famous church of St. Mark, but slowly its front was so extended as at length to touch the church. Its rear lines the canal; and there is included an oblong court. The building is but three stories high. For an adequate account of its beauties one must study Ruskin’s Stones of Venice, Vol. 2; but we may note a few points of interest. The exterior and interior have both suffered much from fire, from robbery by conquerors and from clumsy efforts to restore columns, statuary and paintings. But there remain the striking and unique façades, the beautiful marbles of the exterior walls and a profusion of delicate and elaborate sculpture, allegorical in character, presenting virtues, vices, the ages of man and similar subjects. On the third floor, in the great council-chambers, hang many splendid and famous paintings, including some by Tintoretto. The Bridge of Sighs, celebrated in poem and story, was built about 1590 to join the palace with the new prison then erected on the other side of the Rio del Palazzo. Of course its tragic fame arises from the shortness of the passage from the splendid abode of power to the dark and hopeless dungeons of the prison. But before 1590 the victims of the doge’s authority had suffered under the floors of the palace itself. The fascination of the building can be understood only through study of the history of Venice and its institutions, which lent themselves so readily to extremes of splendor and misery.