The museums of Venice: The Doge's Palace

The first museum I visited in Venice was the Doge's Palace (Italian name: Palazzo Ducale) located in Piazza San Marco. A normal ticket costs 20 euros, and I think it is worth the price. Let me tell you some of the highlights of my visit, which took about 1 hour and a half.

On a Tuesday afternoon, the Doge's Palace was not crowded at all, and I did not have to wait for long in the queue to enter. As soon as I walked into the main courtyard, my first impression was that the Venetian Gothic architecture of the palace was so gorgeous to the point of perfection - the elegant white marble loggias were my favorite. Built in 1340, the palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice (the leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice that lasted from 697 to 1797). Decorated the interior of the palace were the masterpieces by Titian, Veronese, Tiepolo and Tintoretto.

The most monumental room of the palace was the Chamber of the Great Council used to hold the meetings of the most important political body of the Republic. The scale of the rectangular room really overwhelmed me. If you do not have a lot of time, visit the small rooms quickly and get straight to the chamber to marvel at the ostentatious ceiling decorations and the immense painting Il Paradiso (1588 - 1594) painted by Jacopo Robusti, also known as Tintoretto. Also, take some time to enjoy the stunning views from the windows of this floor.

Another fascinating part of my visit was walking through the interior of the Bridge of Sighs, which I had seen so many times from the outside. As beautiful as it was, the Bridge of Sighs built in 1614 was not really a happy place historically. It was a bit creepy to see the view that prisoners would have seen for the last time before serving their sentence - that's why they would sigh while walking through the bridge. It is such ironic that nowadays the bridge has become an enchanting tourist spot.

Insider's tips

If you stay in Venice for a week or more, definitely buy a Venice Museum pass to visit the 11 Civic Museums of Venice. It costs 24 euros (18 euros for students under 26) and is valid for 6 months. Included in the pass are the best public museums in Venice such as the Doge's Palace and the Museo Correr.