Doge's Palace - Visit the Correr Museum First and other Venice, Italy Things to Do Tips

Doge's Palace or Palazzo Ducale first housed Doge Sebastiano Ziani. The original castle was destroyed in 976 during an uprising against Doge Pietro IV Candiano. The pink and white marble exterior appears rather flat, but once inside you can admire the detailed sculptures and layout of the palace. At the top of a giant staircase, there stands Sansovino's two statues of Mars and Neptune. They symbolize the power of Venice.

You might wonder why you should visit the Correr Museum first before coming to this grand palazzo. The reason you should visit the Correr (on the opposite side of Piazza San Marco from San Marco) is because the ticket that you buy there will get you into the Correr and Doge's Palace. It is helpful because the lines at Doge's are significantly longer than the ones at Correr, especially during high tourist volume times of the year. Once you have the ticket, you can go into the side entrance of Doge's Palace without having to wait with the hordes of people.

If you get there before opening time and before the queues become intolerably long, you will also make out quite well.

HOURS:
March - September 8:30am to 6:00pm daily.
October - February 8:30am to 4:00pm daily.

ADMISSION: 9.50€ (Combination ticket for Correr Museum and Doge's Palace)

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Phone: 041 522 4951
Address: Piazza San Marco
Directions: VAPORETTO: San Marco

Near the mouth of the Grand Canal on Piazza San Marco

Although Venice seems daunting at first, it really becomes small. You tend to run into the same people you first meet on the vaporetto into the watery city.

Since all calles lead to Piazza San Marco, it is easy to find. Visit it anytime during the day, evening, or night and you will find something colorful to please your senses. In the morning, enjoy the calm of the piazza before the crowds mob the area. In the afternoon, enjoy a light lunch on the piazza while people watching. In the evening, enjoy the music that echoes throughout the piazza as you have dinner by twilight.

(Of course, don't miss San Marco. This church is really neat because of the frescos and colored marble that adorn the outside. The typical Venetian architecture is pleasant to look at! -See my tip on Basilica di San Marco)

HOURS: Anytime

ADMISSION: Free!!

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Address: Piazza San Marco
Directions: VAPORETTO: San Marco

Piazza San Marco, follow the signs.

The view from the Campanile in St. Mark's Square offers some stunning views of the city. You can observe the many cupolas of San Marco and others. You can look out onto the shining Adriatic Sea. Also there are some really neat perspectives of Piazza San Marco that are worth going to the top!!

HOURS:
Closed Jan 7-31
Oct-Feb daily 9:30am-4pm
Mar-June daily 9am-7pm
July-Sept daily 9am-9pm

ADMISSION: 6€

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Phone: 041-5224064
Address: Piazza San Marco
Directions: VAPORETTO: San Marco

Rialto Bridge is probably the most stunning bridge and most famous bridge in Venice. It is a definate must see. Whether you pass under it on your ride up and down the Grand Canal or whether you go to shop on it, it is quite a bridge to behold.

The bridge was built between 1588 and 1591 and was the only bridge to cross the Grand Canal until the Accademia bridge was built in 1854. Up until that point, there were only wooden bridges that spanned the Grand Canal. Today, there are only a total of three bridges including the Ponte di Rialto and the Ponte d'Accademia that span the expanse of the Grand Canal.

There are a total of three bridge walkways, the two on the outside offer a great place for tourists to watch Venetian life below and the center, larger, walkway is home to small shops that entice the visitor.

HOURS: open all the time, check stores for hours.

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Address: Ponte di Rialto
Directions: VAPORETTO: Ponte di Rialto

Follow signs everywhere that direct you to Ponte di Rialto

Piazza San Marco of course wouldn't be the Piazza San Marco without the Basilica di San Marco. Aptly known also as the Chiesa d'Oro (Church of Gold), it is one of the most richly embellished churches in the world. The basilica is topped with an enormous cupola that is surrounded by several other smaller ones. As with many of the other churches in Italy, the fascade of the church is decorated with marble. In addition to the marble, there are beautiful mosaics depicting scenes from the life of Christ and St. Mark.

According to legend, St. Mark's body was smuggled out of Alexandria in A.D. 828 into Venice (hence, the name of St. Marks...Theodore, the Greek saint was patron saint of Venice up until this point).

When inside the Basilica di San Marco, you must set your eyes onto the Pala d'Oro, a golden altar screen set with 300 emeralds, 300 sapphires, 400 garnets, 100 amethysts, and 1,300 pearls.

Be aware that churches in Italy strictly enforce a modest dress code. No shorts, no bare shoulders or arms, and no skirts above the knees are permitted in the Basilica. Additionally, no pictures are permitted and silence must be observed.

HOURS:
Basilica and Presbytery
Apr-Sept Mon-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm, Sun 2-5:30pm
Oct-Mar Mon-Sat 10am-4:30pm, Sun 2-4:30pm.

Treasury Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm; Sun 2-5pm.

Marciano Museum Apr-Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm, Sun 2-4:30pm
Oct-Mar Mon-Sat 10am-4:30pm, Sun 2-4:30pm

ADMISSION:
Basilica free
Treasury 2€
Presbytery 1.50€
Marciano Museum 1.50€

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Address: Piazza San Marco
Directions: VAPORETTO: San Marco

Everything is transformed from the moment you step out from Piazzale Roma and onto Venetian splendor. Stop and cast your eyes for the first time onto the Grand Canal.

This is the mainstreet of Venice, the Grand Canal. It is the largest of the more than one hundred canals that link over one hundred islands to make up what we know as Venice. Artists throughout the ages have tried to capture the Grand Canal's splendor and awe-inspiring nature.

However, for the less than artistic, we can still enjoy its beauty without aid of a pencil, watercolor, or camera. Simply sit back and let someone do the work for you while you take in scenes of the grand palazzos that line the canal or examine the three bridges that span its waters. Whatever your choice, do ride the entire length of the Grand Canal at different times of the day. You will certainly get a different feel for it at any given time.

I highly recommend the taking the "slow" vaporetto so that you can absorb in all the greatness and intricacies that the Grand Canal offers. However, there is also the route of the gondola...this will give you a different perspective of the Canal.

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Directions: The Grand Canal

This is one of the many museums in Venice. Ca'Pesaro is the International Gallery of Modern Art and Oriental Art Museum in Venice (although I was not so much intrigued by their oriental collection because it contained just antique armor and weaponary). It's worth a look anyway.

If you purchase the Museum Pass when you goto Doge's Palace or Correr Museum at Saint Mark's Square, this card will grant you single entrance to all the Civic Museums in Venice. This includes the museums on Saint Mark's Square (Doge's Palace, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana); the museums of 18th century culture (Ca’ Rezzonico, Goldoni's House and Library of Theatrical Studies, Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo and Study Centre for the History of Textiles and Costumes); the Island Museums (Museo Murano and Museo Burano); and Ca' Pesaro (International Gallery of Modern Art and Oriental Art Museum).

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Address: Palazzo Pesaro on Grande Canal
Website: http://www.museiciviciveneziani.com/main.asp?lin=EN

The Correr Museum first began in 1830 when Teodoro Correr donated his art collection to the city of Venice. Since then, there have been many other acquisitions that have expanded the collection.

The collection of art housed here is second only to the Accademia in all of Venice, so it is definately worth a visit. It's most famous painting is Young Man in a Red Hat - Gallery's by Carpaccio dated around 1490. There is also the painting Two Venetian Ladies or Two Courtesans (also by Carpaccio), dated 1507, that deserves a look.

Also, the ticket that gets you into the Correr is also the ticket that lets you into Doge's Palace. Many people will often goto Doge's Palace first because it is such a popular attraction. However, if you hate to waste time, like myself, I suggest you goto the Correr first. Once you purchase the combination ticket, you won't have to wait in long queues to get into Doge's Palace. Of course, if you are traveling in the low tourist season, this is not as much of an issue. Even in the early tourist month, like mid-May, I still found pretty long lines mid-morning.

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Address: Piazza San Marco
Directions: Off Piazza San Marco, directly across from Basilica di San Marco.