The Palazzo Ducale. Ducal Palace in Venice

All over the world there is a small number of historical buildings or structures, which for all their masterpiece do not fit into the framework of orthodox stylistic definitions. These buildings are kind of symbols of cities, countries or religious confessions. The Ducal Palace in Venice falls precisely in this category of iconic architectural masterpieces. It is his image that most often arises in the mind when it comes to Venice. In a sense, its creators were counting on this effect.

The Ducal Palace in Venice. His history and style

This palace was obliged to make a strong impression on everyone who sees it. It was intended to live and perform administrative and state functions to all future rulers of Venice. And this unique city-state reached the beginning of the fourteenth century a high degree of power and influence. They were ruled by elected rulers - doji. And the Ducal Palace in Venice was obliged to emphasize their status. In addition to the supreme rulers, many other state structures were to be placed here: the Senate and the Grand Council, the Supreme Court and the secret police. Material resources allowed to solve this problem. The city was the richest in the entire eastern Mediterranean. The Ducal Palace in Venice was built over a quarter of a century. Over its erection worked the best masters and artists of the era. Professional secrets of mastery in the Middle Ages were carefully guarded from outsiders and passed only within their clan or family dynasty, from father to son. That is why some building and finishing technologies remain unsurpassed to this day. To make sure of this, it is enough to look at what the Doge's Palace in Venice looks like inside. The luxury and expressiveness of finishing its interiors impress the imagination. It organically corresponds to the overall stylistics of the whole architectural design. And the building of the palace entered all the world architecture textbooks as the brightest example and the highest flight of Italian Gothic, immediately preceding the Renaissance. In Italian it is called "Palazzo Ducale". The palace of the Doges was very fortunate in the sense that for several centuries it has not undergone significant restructuring and reconstruction. Even after a violent fire in 1577, it was restored in its original form. This allows us today to admire the primeval masterpiece, and not its subsequent distortions.

Palazzo Ducale: view from the sea

It is impossible not to mention the fact that the Doges' Palace has been successfully entered into the general composition of the ensemble of the central square of San Marco in Venice. It is noticeable from afar, at the entrance to the sea lagoon, in which the city is located. It was in this form that he appeared to those who looked at him from the side of ships in the merchant caravans from all over the Mediterranean. Just as it is seen by modern tourists, striving to the lagoon, including to see the Doge's Palace in Venice. Its photo is traditionally decorated with all the promotional materials of tourist structures in all countries and on all continents.