Private Doges Palace & Secret Itineraries Tour

Private Doges Palace & Secret Itineraries Tour

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Explore the doges Palace and the secret itinerary on this in-depth tour of one among Venice most important building with one of our local expert english speaking guides. It is also possible to add on an extra 30 minutes to visit St Marks' Basilica with skip the line tickets

DurationPrices from:
105.00
earth-globeDuration:
2,5 hours

Private Doges Palace & Secret Itineraries Tour

From: 105.00

Duration: 2,5 hours

Highlights & Includes Highlights & Includes
  • Local Expert Guide
  • Skip the line Tickets for the Doge's Palace & Secret Itinerary
Tour Overview Tour Overview

On our Private Venice Doge's Palace & Secret Itineraries Walking Tours you'll be accompanied by one of our local expert Venice city tour guides to enjoy the most comprehensive tour of Venice's most important building, the Doge's Palace. On our walking tour of the Doge's Palace visit the sumptuous and splendidly decorated rooms of what used to be the "brain" that governed the Republic of Venice.

Its open architecture testifies to the unbeatable power of Venice, queen of the sea. While its lavish chambers display the immense wealth that the city possessed. And then, as one of the highlights of our Private Walking Tours of the Doge's Palace we will enter the Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace, behind the walls of the elaborately decorated hallways and chambers lay another world closed to everyone but a few trusted men of the Republic!

As we tour the public rooms of the Doge's Palace your eyes will be captured by the beauty that is around you. You'll learn about the diverse roles played in society by the Doge and his counsellors, who helped create the many institutions that made Venice the most modern and liberal state in Europe. During the walking tour of the Doge's Palace, you'll cross the famous Bridge of Sighs and visit the prisons of the Doge's Palace. You'll hear about the infamous Council of Ten, and be entertained by the legends and stories of the characters who played a role in creating the most serene of Republics.

On our Private Walking Tours of the Doge's Palace discover the lost in the the corridors of power, a tall sturdy door that remains always locked! Behind that locked door lies the Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace. A tour that takes you into the inner sanctums of the "brain of Venice" where you'll learn all the secrets of the Venetian Republic. Visit the Chancellors Office, the man responsible for writing all the secret documents of the Republic and learn how the Venetian guaranteed his loyalty!

On our private walking tours of the Doge's Palace you'll also see his offices were a multitude of Secret documents were kept and where you'll be able to admire the interior decorations of the rooms built by workmen from the Arsenale who applied their unique shipbuilding skills to a building on dry land.

The next stop on your Private Tour of the Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace is the gruesome Torture Chamber where enemies of the state would be tortured before the state inquisitors. Learn about the single form of torture that the Venetians used and still on display, and why no-one was able to resist the pain! And how prisoners awaiting the same punishment were entertained as they waited their turn! From the torture chamber we head up into "I Piombi" Prisons, so called because they lay directly below the lead roofs of the Doge's Palace. These wooden cells beneath the lead roofs would be intolerably hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter months.

It was in these cells that the famous lover Casanova was incarcerated and here you will learn about the trumped up charges that Casanova's enemies used against him to imprison the world's most famous lover. On our Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace tour we will see both the prison cells that Casanova spent time in and you will be entertained by the stories of his two attempts to escape and how finally, he made his way to freedom.

While visiting the prisons we'll take a detour on our tour of the Doge's Palace to enter the attic area of the Palace following a narrow gangway we will walk over the giant timbers dating from the 16th Century that support the roof. Here you will learn about how the Venetians ensured that their timber never rotted and how they were able to construct such a heavy structure without using any supporting structure!

The last two rooms of the Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace belonged to the State inquisitors & three judges of the council of ten. Here we can again admire the works of Venetian masters Tintoretto & Veronese, along with some of the few original pieces of furniture to be found in the Doge's Palace. Which includes a delightful cabinet for court documents with three keyholes that meant all three judges had to be present to open the cabinet. The Venetians fear of corruption knew no limits - which is probably why the Venetian Republic survived longer than any other, until its demise in 1797.

IMPORTANT: Beginning Friday 6 August 2021 and until further notice, access to the Doge’s Palace and all related areas will be permitted only to those in possession of a Green COVID-19 Certification (Green Pass or equivalent certificate like the CDC vaccine card). Please remember to also bring your ID or passport to confirm your identity.

See More
Maps and Flags Meeting Point

Your English-speaking guide will come and meet you in St. Mark's Square, between the two columns you will see as you face the water front from the Square. The left column has a lion on the to and the right column has Saint Todaro. Your guide will be holding a sign with your name written on it

Information Symbol Other Information
  • This tour is not fully accessible for wheelchair users or people with walking disabilities. However, please contact us directly and we will be able to take you on alternative routes suitable for you.

Customer Tour Reviews

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Overall tour rating
5/5

Based on 6 Reviews

5/5
Mr Kevin Kumke
Jun 22 2023

Very well informed and clear presentation

5/5
Anonymous
Jun 19 2019

It was a fun perspective on the politics on Venice at the time.

5/5
Anonymous
May 04 2019

Excellent experience, great guide.

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