Page 94 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

92  v E n I c E A r EA by A r EA

Exploring the Doge’s Palace

A tour of the palace takes visitors through a Sala delle Quattro Porte
succession of richly decorated chambers and halls. to Sala del Senato
The rooms are on four levels, and they all have name
boards carrying an explanation of their function in The second flight of the Scala
d’Oro leads to the third floor
Italian and English. The latest equipment available and its council chambers. The
is an up-to-date infrared audioguide, which can first room, the Sala delle Quattro
be hired for a commentary on the whole palace Porte, was completely rebuilt
or just the areas that are of particular interest. after the 1574 fire, its ceiling
Allow plenty of time for the visit, and try to take designed by Andrea Palladio
and frescoed by Tintoretto.
a break at the coffee shop. Located at water level, The next room, the
it affords evocative views of gondolas gliding Anticollegio, was the waiting
past in the canal. room. The end walls are
decorated with mythological
Courtyard St Theodore in the scenes by Tintoretto: Vulcan’s
palace courtyard
Forge, Mercury and the Graces,
The courtyard is reached via a Bacchus and Ariadne and
vaulted passage from the Porta carved chimneypieces Minerva Dismissing Mars, all
del Frumento. At the top of the in some of the rooms give an painted in 1578. Veronese’s
Giants’ Staircase, on the idea of the doges’ lifestyle. The masterly Rape of Europa (1580),
opposite side of the courtyard, most ornate is the Sala degli opposite the window, is one
new doges were crowned with Scarlatti, with a richly carved of the most eyecatching
the zogia or dogal cap. gilt ceiling, a fireplace (c.1501) works in the palace.
designed by Off the
Antonio and Tullio Anticollegio, the
Scala d’Oro and State Lombardo and a Sala del Collegio
Apartments relief (1501–21) by was the hall where
The sumptuous Scala d’Oro Pietro Lombardo the doge and his
(“golden staircase”), built of Doge Leonardo councillors met to
between 1538 and 1559, was Loredan at the feet receive ambassa-
designed by Jacopo Sansovino. of the Virgin. dors and discuss
It takes its name, however, from The Sala dello matters of State.
the elaborate gilt stucco vault, Scudo, or map Embellishing the
which was added by Alessandro room, contains A bocca di leone used for magnificent
Vittoria (1554–8). The doge’s maps and charts. denouncing tax evaders ceiling are
private apartments on the The picture gallery 11 paintings by
second floor were built after further on features works Veronese (c.1577), of which
the fire of 1483 and later looted by Vittore Carpaccio and the most notable – in the
on the orders of Napoleon. Giovanni Bellini, and some centre, far end – is Justice and
They are bare of incongruous wooden Peace Offering Sword, Scales
furnishings, but demoniac and Olive Branch to Venice.
the lavish panels by It was in the next room, the
ceilings and Hieronymus Sala del Senato, that the doge
colossal Bosch. would sit with some 200
senators to discuss matters
such as foreign affairs or
nominations of ambassadors.
The wall and ceiling paintings,
by pupils of Tintoretto or the
master himself, are further
propaganda for the Republic.

Sala del Consiglio dei
Dieci to the Armeria
The route returns through the
Sala delle Quattro Porte to the
Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci. This
was the meeting room of the
Veronese’s Dialectic (c.1577), awesomely powerful Council of
Sala del Collegio Ten, founded in 1310 to

092-093_EW_Venice.indd 92 06/08/15 11:03 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Flashmap follow-on template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.5)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm