Palazzo Ducale is known for the history that it had during the republic of Venice, as it was the residence of the Doge and the place where all the decisions regarding the city of Venice and its surroundings were taken. However, Palazzo Ducale was seen in a darkest light from many of the citizens of Venice, as Palazzo Ducale was also a prison. The Secret Itineraries at Palazzo Ducale are a strong part of this story.
The secret itineraries tour at Palazzo Ducale
Just the lower part of Palazzo Ducale were designated as prisons: a very unpleasant prisons as the cells were at ground level and the humidity of the lagoon was very strong inside the little rooms. From these spaces there was, and there is, a little passage, the secret itineraries at Palazzo Ducale, that ended in the world famous Bridge of Sights, or “Ponte dei Sospiri”. The architecture of this bridge is wonderful in all its details, but its story tells of prisoners conducted though the bridge, probably seeing Venice and its lagoon for the last time. That is the reason of its name: it is called the bridge of sight because the legend says the prisoners sighed passing through the bridge. On our site you have all the information about our tour of the Secret Itineraries at Palazzo Ducale.
The secret itineraries at Palazzo Ducale with Italy Travels
The secret itineraries at Palazzo Ducale counted many famous guests. Giacomo Casanova passed through these spaces when he was imprisoned at Palazzo Ducale. His imprisonment however had not a long duration, as it is known from literature and illustrations of the time that Casanova tried and succeed to escape from the jail passing through the roof. Casanova then went inside the Palace again and escaped from one of the main entrances, which were opened to him as the guard thought is was a visitor that remained trapped inside the building. The Secret Itineraries at Palazzo Ducale have many of these stories to tell, the best one can do is visit them with a guided tour, where the expert guide will reveal you all of their secrets.
