Doge's Palace - Venice

The Doge's Palace, or Ducal Palace, is located in Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy, and served as the home and seat of power of the Dukes of Venice.  The palace dates back to the 9th century, but was destroyed by fire in the 10th century.  The current structure dates to 1340 when it was rebuilt in the Gothic style it retains today.  Fires ravaged the building in 1483, 1547 and 1577, and required restoration and rebuilding in each incident.  Works by Titian and Tintoretto also graced the Doge's private rooms during this time.  In 1614 the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace were connected to the New Prison by the Bridge of Sighs, which runs over the Rio di Palazzo.  Adventurer Giacomo Casanova made a daring escape from the old prison, known as The Leeds, in the Doges Palace, in early 1757, after serving over a year 's imprisonment for his offensive attitude to common decency in the city.  From its earliest days to the Napoleonic invasion in 1797, the Palace was not only the home to the Duke, but also the home to Venice's political institutions.  After Napoleon's reign Venice was subject to Austrian rule, then finally became a part of Italy in 1866.  Since 1923 the Doge's Palace has been run as a museum.          

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