Venice - Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs
Day 9 & 10 Venice - Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs Doge's Palace "Venice, its temples and palaces did seem like fabrics of enchantment piled to heaven." Percy Bysshe Shelley Doge Giovanni Mocenigo 1478-85 Doge was the highest official of the republic for more than 1,000 years. From the 8th -12th century a doge was the symbol of the sovereignty of the Venetian state. In the 14thC the hierarchy of Venice decided that instead of a fortress, the doge deserved a grand palace - a beautiful Venetian Gothic building befitting the city's new wealth and power. Begun in 1301, the palace was not completed until 1450. It is recognized for the light and airy first and second floors - another nod to their not needing nor wanting a fortified castle. If you scan across the 2nd floor columns (far left in the photo) you will see two soft pink ones among the white. The Doge would stand here to announce a death sentence. The condemned pr...