This featured photo comes from Venice, the world famous romantic city in Italy. I visited Venice back in February and wrote about 48 hours there and was impressed by the amazing architecture, the quirky way the canals cut the city and the great food.
I’ve highlighted the Doge’s Palace here as it’s one of the oldest buildings in Venice. It housed the Doge, basically the head honcho of Venice when it was a city state back in the Middle Ages. He didn’t actually have much power or say on matters and was more of a symbolic figurehead. They paraded him around to promote the city’s vast power and wealth only and was basically kept under strict control. And the poor bloke could never quit either! You stopped becoming the Doge when you died. All said though, it was a prestigious position though, and only the most reputable and wealthy men in the city ever attained it.
The Doge’s Palace is filled with incredible ornate rooms, jaw dropping staircases and statues around every corner. You can spend hours inside and still not appreciate the immensity of this place. After you’ve taken in all the regality, you can proceed downstairs and check out the darker side of the Doge’s Palace, where prisoners were locked up and tortured in the many cells. There is so little room down there, you get claustrophobic real quick.
It’s without a doubt a must-see attraction in Venice, and is right next to St Mark’s Square and the Basilica, making it easy to find (not to mention the distinctive facade). Make sure you get the audio guide.
