The Doges of Venice 2026 — Election, Residence, Power and Burials of the Venetian Heads of State
In a nutshell: The Doge (Italian Doge, Venetian Doxe, from Latin dux = “leader”) was the elected head of state of the Republic of Venice — from the first documented election in 726 to the dissolution of the Republic under Napoleon in 1797. Over the Republic’s 1,071 years, 120 doges reigned. Unlike a king or prince, the doge was an elected official with a lifetime term whose power was tightly limited by a complex system of checks: he could not open letters without the Senate, accept gifts, or name a son as successor. The doge lived in the Doge’s Palace, governed from the Maggior Consiglio, wore the distinctive Corno Ducale (doge’s cap) and after death was usually buried in Zanipolo or the Frari — Zanipolo alone holds 25 doges’ tombs. The election followed a famous 11-stage procedure alternating lottery and ballot — one of the most complex electoral systems in history.
Quick overview — the Doges of Venice at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| First doge | Paolo Lucio Anafesto (726), traditionally recognised as the first doge |
| Last doge | Ludovico Manin (1789–1797), abdicated when Napoleon marched in |
| Number of doges | 120 over the course of the Republic (726–1797) |
| Duration of the Republic | 1,071 years — one of the longest-lived republics in world history |
| Electoral system | An 11-stage procedure alternating lottery and ballot — one of the most complex in history |
| Residence | The Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) — private and official residence |
| Insignia | Corno Ducale (doge’s cap), robe, golden bulla, standard |
| Key restrictions | No private correspondence, no personal assets during the term, no succession by a son, no gifts |
| Main doges’ burial churches | Zanipolo (25 doges’ tombs), Frari (2–3), St Mark’s Basilica (early doges) |
| Sights | Doge’s Palace (Maggior Consiglio election hall), Zanipolo (doges’ mausoleums), St Mark’s Basilica (early doge connection) |
Which doge trail suits your trip?
| If you … | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| … want to understand Venetian politics | The Doge’s Palace with the Maggior Consiglio, Sala del Senato and Sala del Collegio — the working rooms of the state |
| … want to see the doges’ tombs | Zanipolo (25 doges’ tombs, the central mausoleum) + Frari (Doge Foscari + others) |
| … want to understand the secret justice system | The Itinerari Segreti in the Doge’s Palace — torture chamber, secret chancellery, the Leads (Piombi) |
| … are looking for the oldest doge connection | St Mark’s Basilica and the tradition of the “Cappella del Doge” — until 1807 the basilica was the doge’s private chapel, not a cathedral |
| … are tracing Casanova’s doge connection | The Piombi cells in the Doge’s Palace (Itinerari Segreti) — Casanova escaped from there in 1756 |
| … want to understand Venice’s political system | The Museo Correr (St Mark’s Square) with its city-history section + the Doge’s Palace + the Marciana Library |
| … want to see a doge’s portrait | The Sala del Maggior Consiglio in the Doge’s Palace — a portrait gallery of all 76 late-Renaissance doges, one spot veiled in black (Marin Falier, high treason 1355) |
| … want to compare the most important doges | Doge lists + biographies in the Marciana Library + the Museo Correr section |
| … are travelling with children | The Doge’s Palace with an audio guide (the doge’s cap, the electoral procedure and the Piombi story grip children from about age 8) |
Who were the doges?
The doge was the elected lifetime head of state of the Republic of Venice. Unlike a king, he was not a hereditary ruler but an official — elected by the city’s patrician elite from its own ranks, with a fixed term lasting until death. The title comes from the Latin dux (“leader”) and from the 7th century was used in most port cities of Italy and the Adriatic. In Venice the institution survived until 1797 — longer than in any other European republic.
What made the Venetian doge unique: he was politically tightly constrained. Over the centuries the Republic developed a complex system of checks against the abuse of ducal power. The doge could not open his own correspondence (all letters went through a notary’s office), could not accept gifts (except flowers, food and small items), could not leave the Doge’s Palace alone, could not name a son as successor (after the father’s death the son was immediately excluded from election), and could not exert direct influence on the Senate or the Great Council. Violations carried penalties — Doge Marin Falier was executed for high treason in 1355, and his portrait in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio is veiled with a black cloth to this day.
Even so, the doge held the Republic’s most important symbolic office: he performed the annual “Sposalizio del Mare” (Marriage of the Sea), presided over the Great Council, represented Venice abroad and was commander-in-chief of the Venetian fleet. On his death there was an elaborate state funeral, followed immediately by preparations for the next election.
The 11-stage electoral procedure
The election of the doge was one of the most complex electoral procedures in history — deliberately designed so that neither a family nor a faction could influence the outcome through vote-buying or collusion. The procedure in its final form of 1268 had 11 stages, alternating lottery and ballot. A simplified overview:
| Stage | Procedure | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 electors are drawn by lot from the Great Council | 30 electors |
| 2 | From the 30, 9 are selected by lot | 9 electors |
| 3 | The 9 elect 40 patricians | 40 electors |
| 4 | From the 40, 12 are drawn by lot | 12 electors |
| 5 | The 12 elect 25 patricians | 25 electors |
| 6 | From the 25, 9 are drawn by lot | 9 electors |
| 7 | The 9 elect 45 patricians | 45 electors |
| 8 | From the 45, 11 are drawn by lot | 11 electors |
| 9 | The 11 elect 41 patricians — the final electoral college | 41 electors |
| 10 | The 41 withdraw into the Doge’s Palace and elect the doge | candidates |
| 11 | Election by qualified majority (at least 25 of 41 votes) | The new doge |
The procedure mixes lottery (random selection, against vote-buying and collusion) with ballot (political weighting, against rule by pure chance) in a sequence that even highly organised factions could practically not manipulate. The electors of the final stage were often isolated in the Doge’s Palace for days, on reduced rations and without outside contact, until a decision was reached. In times of crisis the election could take weeks — the longest ballot, in 1361, lasted 8 days.
The procedure was cited as a model by later politicians — even the framers of the American constitution in 1787 studied the Venetian doge election as a historical example of complex indirect elections.
Where did the doges live? — The Doge’s Palace
From 1297 to 1797 the Palazzo Ducale was both the seat of government and the doge’s private residence. The current building dates essentially from the 14th and 15th centuries — the Gothic façade with its alternation of white Istrian stone and pink Verona marble was built between 1340 and 1424. The interior was largely repainted after a fire in 1577; today’s principal works (Tintoretto, Veronese, Bassano, Palma il Giovane) date from that rebuilding phase.
The doge’s private quarters were on the first floor, separated from the public government area. Here he had a small private oratory, a bedroom, a study and a private dining room. For official audiences he used the Sala del Collegio and the Sala dello Scrutinio. The largest hall, the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, was reserved for the regular sessions of the Great Council — up to 2,500 patricians could assemble there.
Important: The doge lived in the palace, but his assets and his family remained separate. During his term he could buy or sell nothing, conduct no private correspondence and accept no gifts. After his death the palace inventory was strictly audited for private versus state property.
The doge’s insignia
- Corno Ducale — the distinctive doge’s cap. A pointed, horn-like cap of gold brocade with a pearl-studded band, in use since the 14th century. Souvenir replicas can be seen in many of Venice’s shops today; the originals are in museum collections.
- Golden mantle and red robe — for official occasions. The red colour was exclusive to the doge; other patricians were not allowed to wear full red.
- Vexillum / standard — the doge’s banner with the winged lion of San Marco, carried before the doge in processions.
- The bulla — a golden seal for official documents, similar to the papal bull, bearing the doge’s image and name.
- Sword and staff — symbolic insignia of power, carried at state ceremonies.
- The Bucintoro — the magnificent gilded state galley, taken out onto the lagoon once a year for the Sposalizio del Mare. The original was destroyed by Napoleon’s troops in 1798; a reconstruction can be seen in the Museo Storico Navale in Castello.
Where were the doges buried?
A doge’s burial was a state occasion with clear rules. Most doges chose their burial church during their lifetime — either a family chapel in one of the great churches or, in particularly prestigious cases, their own wall tomb in Zanipolo or the Frari. A distribution across the centuries:
| Church | Number of doges’ tombs | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Zanipolo (Santi Giovanni e Paolo) | 25 | Pietro Mocenigo (1476), Andrea Vendramin (1478), Sebastiano Venier (1578), Marino Grimani (1605), the Loredan family |
| Frari (Santa Maria Gloriosa) | 2–3 | Doge Francesco Foscari (1457) — a monumental wall tomb to the left of the high altar |
| St Mark’s Basilica (crypt + main church) | early doges | Until around 1100, early doges were buried in the basilica crypt |
| San Zaccaria (Castello) | several | Early doges, in the crypt — open to visitors today |
| San Marco (crypt) | early doges | Before the redesign of St Mark’s Square; some later transferred to Zanipolo |
| Private family chapels | scattered | Several doges’ families had their own chapels in smaller churches |
In the 14th century Zanipolo became the Republic’s official doges’ mausoleum. With 25 doges’ tombs — almost a third of all 120 doges — it is Venice’s most important and most extensive ducal mausoleum. If you want to experience Venetian political history in physical form, this is the place: the monumental wall tombs by Pietro Lombardo, Tullio Lombardo and Alessandro Vittoria show the Mocenigo, Vendramin, Loredan and Venier doge families in life-size sculpture.
The most important doges — a selection
| Doge | Term | Significance / tomb |
|---|---|---|
| Paolo Lucio Anafesto | 726–739 (traditional) | The first doge of the Republic by Venetian tradition. His election is disputed, possibly legendary. |
| Pietro II Orseolo | 991–1009 | Conquered the Dalmatian coast in 1000, establishing Venice’s Adriatic hegemony. Instituted the annual “Sposalizio del Mare”. Donated the golden pala for San Marco. |
| Enrico Dandolo | 1192–1205 | Diverted the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople in 1204 instead of Jerusalem — Venetian booty included the bronze horses of St Mark’s. Died in Constantinople aged over 90 and was buried there. |
| Sebastiano Ziani | 1172–1178 | Brokered the 1177 peace between Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and Pope Alexander III in St Mark’s Basilica — a triumph of Venetian diplomacy. |
| Marin Falier | 1354–1355 | Attempted a coup — executed for high treason in 1355. His portrait in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio is veiled in black to this day. |
| Francesco Foscari | 1423–1457 | The longest term (33 years). Conquered mainland territories as far as Brescia and Bergamo. Monumental tomb in the Frari. |
| Pietro Mocenigo | 1474–1476 | Admiral and briefly doge. Wall tomb in Zanipolo by Pietro Lombardo — one of the most important Renaissance doges’ tombs. |
| Andrea Vendramin | 1476–1478 | Wall tomb in Zanipolo by Tullio Lombardo — three life-size recumbent figures, art-historically one of the most important Renaissance funerary monuments. |
| Sebastiano Venier | 1577–1578 | Victor of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 (as admiral). Bronze wall tomb in Zanipolo. |
| Marino Grimani | 1595–1605 | The last “civic” doge of the High Renaissance. Mannerist wall tomb in Zanipolo. |
| Ludovico Manin | 1789–1797 | The last doge. Capitulated to Napoleon on 12 May 1797 — the end of the 1,071-year Republic. |
If you want to see the complete list of all 120 doges, you’ll find it in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio of the Doge’s Palace as a portrait gallery — 76 late-Renaissance portraits in chronological order along the hall’s walls, plus the earlier doges in a separate list in the Sala dello Scrutinio.
How were the doges kept in check?
Over the centuries the Republic developed a complex system of checks limiting the doge’s power:
- Promissione ducale — the “doge’s contract” with detailed restrictions, which every new doge had to sign before taking office. It was extended after each term; under Marino Grimani in 1595 it ran to over 100 articles.
- Consiglio dei Dieci (Council of Ten) — the notorious ten-member state-security commission, which could monitor all the doge’s activities. Letters from the doge had to be approved by the council first.
- Inquisitori di Stato — three state inquisitors who could conduct secret investigations against nobles (including doges).
- Six Consiglieri Ducali — attached councillors who accompanied the doge in all decisions. Without them the doge could perform no official acts.
- Bocca di Leone — the famous “lion’s mouth” letterbox in the Sala della Bussola of the Doge’s Palace, into which anonymous denunciations of patricians or even the doge himself could be dropped.
- Ban on succession — no doge’s son could become doge directly after his father’s death. The Mocenigo and Loredan families produced several doges, but always with a generational gap.
- Ban on private correspondence — all letters to and from the doge passed through the notary’s office; private contact with foreign sovereigns was forbidden.
- Ban on gifts — the doge could accept only food, flowers and items of small value. Larger gifts were subject to confiscation by the state.
These restrictions worked remarkably well: over 1,071 years and 120 doges there was only one serious coup attempt (Marin Falier, 1355) and three or four other minor conflicts between doge and Senate. Compared with other Italian city-states or European monarchies, Venice was remarkably stable.
A doge walk through Venice
“Doge day” (1 day, 6 hrs)
- 9:00am: St Mark’s Basilica with mandatory reservation — the doge’s private chapel until 1807, Byzantine gold mosaics (90 min)
- 10:30am: Walk across St Mark’s Square to the Piazzetta — between the two columns (the public execution site) and on to the entrance of the Doge’s Palace
- 11:00am: Doge’s Palace — the standard route with the Maggior Consiglio (Tintoretto’s Paradiso + the doges’ portrait gallery), Sala del Senato, Sala del Collegio, Anticollegio (Veronese), Bocca di Leone, Bridge of Sighs (180 min)
- 2:00pm: Lunch break in northern Castello or on Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo
- 3:30pm: Vaporetto line 4.2 or 5.2 to the Ospedale stop (10 min)
- 3:45pm: Zanipolo — 25 doges’ tombs: Mocenigo, Vendramin, Venier, Grimani — ducal politics in stone (90 min)
- 5:30pm: See the Colleoni equestrian statue in front of the church + the Codussi façade of the former Scuola di San Marco (today a hospital)
- Evening: Aperitivo on Campo Santa Maria Formosa
“Itinerari Segreti” day (doge secrets)
If you want to understand the darker dimension of ducal politics, book the specially guided Itinerari Segreti tour of the Doge’s Palace (from €32, advance booking required). The 75-minute tour shows: the notaries’ offices, the secret chancellery with wall cupboards full of diplomatic reports, the torture chamber with the “corda” rope torture, the Pozzi prison cells on the ground floor (just above water level), and the Piombi cells under the lead roof (where Casanova was held in 1755 and from which he escaped in 1756). The regular Doge’s Palace route follows. In total a 4-hour Doge’s Palace programme — the most intensive way to understand the Republic’s politics.
The end: how Napoleon finished the Republic
After 1,071 years of the Republic, the end came quickly: in the spring of 1797 Napoleon’s army advanced through the Veneto mainland. The Republic first tried negotiations, then military resistance — both failed. On 12 May 1797 the Great Council convened and the last doge, Ludovico Manin, capitulated. As a sign of his abdication, Manin removed the Corno Ducale, handed it to his servant and spoke the famous sentence: “Tió, questo no’l doparemo più.” (“Here, we won’t be needing this any more.”)
With the capitulation there ended:
- The institution of the doge — Ludovico Manin died in 1802 as a private citizen, with no successor.
- The Maggior Consiglio — the patrician assembly was dissolved.
- The Consiglio dei Dieci and the inquisition — all political councils were dissolved.
- The Venetian administration — taken over first by French, then by Austrian commanders.
- The Bucintoro galley was dismantled by French soldiers and its gold scraped off.
Venice became part of the Habsburg Empire (1798–1805, 1815–1866), then of the Kingdom of Italy — and has been Italian since unification in 1866. The Republic’s institutions never returned. The Doge’s Palace became a museum in full in 1923, and the doges’ portrait gallery in the Maggior Consiglio preserves the memory of 76 later doges. The black veil over Marin Falier (1355) remains — a warning against high treason from a republic that no longer exists.
Guided tours — Doge’s Palace, Itinerari Segreti, Republic history
Guided tours on the doge theme mostly run as the Itinerari Segreti special tour in the Doge’s Palace or as combined full St Mark’s Square tours with the basilica, the Doge’s Palace and the Campanile. Castello walks with a Zanipolo stop are popular too. The following live tours from our affiliate partner Viator show the currently available options:
Doge's Palace and Republic-history tours in Venice
Angebote über Affiliate-Partner Viator. Bei Buchung erhalten wir eine Provision — für Sie ohne Mehrkosten.
Frequently asked questions about the Doges of Venice
What is a doge?
The doge (Italian Doge, Venetian Doxe, from Latin dux = “leader”) was the elected lifetime head of state of the Republic of Venice — from 726 to 1797. Unlike a king or prince, he was not a hereditary ruler but an official, elected by the Venetian patrician elite from its own ranks. His term lasted until death. Over the Republic’s 1,071 years, 120 doges reigned in total. The doge was politically tightly constrained: he could not open his own correspondence, accept gifts, hold personal assets during his term or name a son as successor. Even so, he held the Republic’s most important symbolic office — he performed the Sposalizio del Mare, presided over the Great Council and represented Venice abroad.
How was a doge elected?
Through an 11-stage procedure alternating lottery and ballot — deliberately made so complex that neither a family nor a faction could influence the outcome through vote-buying or collusion. From the Great Council, 30 electors were drawn by lot, reduced to 9 by lot; these elected 40, reduced by lot to 12; these elected 25, reduced by lot to 9; these elected 45, reduced by lot to 11; these elected 41 — the final electoral college. The 41 electors withdrew into the Doge’s Palace and elected the doge by qualified majority (at least 25 of 41 votes). The electors were often isolated for days on reduced rations until a decision was reached. The longest ballot, in 1361, took 8 days.
How many doges were there in total?
Over the Republic’s 1,071 years (726–1797), 120 doges reigned. The traditional first doge was Paolo Lucio Anafesto (726–739); the last was Ludovico Manin (1789–1797), who capitulated to Napoleon on 12 May 1797. Terms varied widely: Francesco Foscari had the longest at 33 years (1423–1457), while several lasted under a year — Pietro Mocenigo, for example, was doge for only about two years before he died (1474–1476). Most doges were between 60 and 75 when they took office — the electoral system favoured experienced patricians whose political careers were already behind them.
Where did the doges live?
In the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) on St Mark’s Square, from 1297 to 1797 — both the seat of government and their private residence. The doge’s private quarters were on the first floor, separate from the public government area: a small private oratory, bedroom, study and private dining room. For official audiences he used the Sala del Collegio and the Sala dello Scrutinio. Important: the doge lived in the palace, but his assets and family remained separate. During his term he could buy or sell nothing, conduct no private correspondence and accept no gifts. After his death the palace inventory was strictly audited for private versus state property.
How were the doges kept in check?
Through a complex system of several supervisory bodies: the Consiglio dei Dieci (Council of Ten) as a state-security commission could monitor all the doge’s activities; the Inquisitori di Stato (three state inquisitors) could conduct secret investigations against nobles; the six Consiglieri Ducali were permanently attached to the doge — without them he could perform no official acts. The Bocca di Leone (lion’s mouth letterbox) in the Sala della Bussola allowed anonymous denunciations of any patrician, including the doge. The Promissione ducale (doge’s contract) under Marino Grimani in 1595 listed over 100 articles of bans and restrictions. These checks worked remarkably well: in 1,071 years there was only one serious coup attempt (Marin Falier, 1355, executed).
Where were the doges buried?
Most doges chose their burial church during their lifetime — either a family chapel in one of the great churches or their own wall tomb in Zanipolo or the Frari. The main burial churches: Zanipolo with 25 doges’ tombs (Venice’s most important and most extensive ducal mausoleum, almost a third of all doges), the Frari with around 2–3 (incl. Doge Francesco Foscari’s monumental wall tomb), the crypt of St Mark’s with the early doges until c. 1100, and San Zaccaria with several early doges. Plus scattered family chapels in smaller churches. To experience Venetian political history in physical form, go to Zanipolo: the monumental wall tombs by Pietro Lombardo, Tullio Lombardo and Alessandro Vittoria show doge families like the Mocenigo, Vendramin, Loredan and Venier in life-size sculpture.
Who were the most important doges?
Of 120 doges, the ten historically most important: Paolo Lucio Anafesto (726, traditionally the first doge), Pietro II Orseolo (991–1009, conquest of Dalmatia, instituted the Sposalizio del Mare), Enrico Dandolo (1192–1205, diverted the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople in 1204 — Venetian booty included the bronze horses of St Mark’s), Sebastiano Ziani (1172–1178, brokered the 1177 peace between emperor and pope), Marin Falier (1354–1355, the only doge executed for high treason), Francesco Foscari (1423–1457, longest term, mainland conquests), Pietro Mocenigo (1474–1476, Renaissance wall tomb), Andrea Vendramin (1476–1478, one of the most important Renaissance funerary monuments), Sebastiano Venier (1577–1578, victor of Lepanto 1571) and Ludovico Manin (1789–1797, the last doge, capitulated to Napoleon).
Why is Marin Falier’s portrait veiled in black?
Marin Falier (in office 1354–1355) attempted a coup against the Venetian aristocracy in 1355 — with the support of lesser craftsmen he wanted to break the power of the Great Council and establish a hereditary doge dynasty. The conspiracy was uncovered; after a short trial Falier was beheaded on 17 April 1355 on the landing of the Scala dei Giganti in the Doge’s Palace — the only doge in Venetian history executed for high treason. As a warning, the Republic had his portrait in the gallery of the Sala del Maggior Consiglio covered with a black cloth, inscribed “Hic est locus Marini Falethri decapitati pro criminibus” (“This is the place of Marin Falier, beheaded for his crimes”). The black veil can still be seen in the Doge’s Palace today — an unspoken memento mori of the Republic.
What was the Sposalizio del Mare (Marriage of the Sea)?
The Republic’s most important annual state ceremony. On Ascension Day (Festa della Sensa, in May or June depending on the year) the doge sailed out on the gilded state galley Bucintoro to the lagoon mouth at San Nicolò di Lido. There he cast a golden ring into the sea and spoke the words: “Desponsamus te, mare, in signum veri perpetuique dominii” (“We wed thee, sea, as a sign of true and perpetual dominion”). The ceremony symbolised Venice’s hegemony over the Adriatic and the Mediterranean — it goes back to Doge Pietro II Orseolo, who conquered the Dalmatian coast in 1000. The tradition continued almost without interruption until 1797. A modern re-enactment of the Festa della Sensa takes place every year on Ascension Day — today with the mayor instead of the doge, but in reference to the historic ceremony.
How did the Republic end in 1797?
After 1,071 years of the Republic, the end came quickly. In the spring of 1797 Napoleon’s army advanced through the Veneto mainland. The Republic first tried negotiations, then military resistance — both failed. On 12 May 1797 the Great Council convened and the last doge, Ludovico Manin, capitulated. As a sign of his abdication Manin removed the Corno Ducale, handed it to his servant and said: “Tió, questo no’l doparemo più.” (“Here, we won’t be needing this any more.”) With the capitulation ended the office of doge, the Maggior Consiglio, the Consiglio dei Dieci and all political councils. Venice became part of the Habsburg Empire (1798–1805, 1815–1866), then of the Kingdom of Italy. The Republic’s institutions never returned. Manin died in 1802 as a private citizen. The Doge’s Palace became a museum in full in 1923 — the strongest physical memento of the vanished Republic.
Can I visit Casanova’s cell in the Doge’s Palace?
Yes, but only on the specially guided Itinerari Segreti tour (from €32, advance booking required, max. 20 people per slot). Giacomo Casanova (1725–1798) was held from 1755 in the Piombi cells under the lead roof of the Doge’s Palace — cells notorious as heat traps in summer and ice chambers in winter, which is why the inquisition used them for “politically sensitive” prisoners. Casanova was imprisoned on the basis of an anonymous Bocca di Leone denunciation for “irreligione” (roughly: blasphemy/criticism of religion). In November 1756, after 15 months, he broke out through the palace’s lead roof with a fellow prisoner, the monk Marin Balbi — one of the most famous prison escapes in European history, which Casanova later described in detail in his memoirs (“Histoire de ma fuite des prisons de la République de Venise”). The Itinerari Segreti tour shows the reconstructed Piombi cells today.
Who wears the Corno Ducale today?
No one officially — the office of doge ended with Venice’s capitulation in 1797. The original Corno Ducale (the distinctive pointed doge’s cap of gold brocade) survives in several museums — above all in the treasury of St Mark’s Basilica and in the Museo Correr on St Mark’s Square. Replicas are sold as tourist items in many Venetian souvenir shops, especially around St Mark’s Square. During the Venice Carnival the doge costume (red robe with Corno Ducale) is occasionally worn — but as historical costume, not as an official office. For an authentic reconstruction, visit the Doge’s Palace with an audio guide — the historic doge’s robe is part of the exhibition. At the annual Festa della Sensa (the modern Sposalizio del Mare), the mayor of Venice wears modern official dress, not historical insignia.
Related topics
- Doge’s Palace — tickets, Itinerari Segreti, highlights
- Zanipolo — 25 doges’ tombs and the Colleoni statue
- Frari — Doge Foscari + Titian’s pala
- St Mark’s Basilica — the doge’s private chapel until 1807
- St Mark’s Square — the political heart of the Republic
- Bridge of Sighs — the link between the Doge’s Palace and the prison
- Churches & art in Venice
- Art in Venice — Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese
- Venice museums — overview and passes
- Venice sights — the 12 most important places
- Vaporetto Venice — all lines
- Venice Access Fee 2026
Information as of spring 2026. Please check current opening hours and admission prices on palazzoducale.visitmuve.it (Doge’s Palace and Itinerari Segreti) and chorusvenezia.org (Zanipolo).