Venice - Italy - page 311

Madonna of Nicopeia icon. That image of the Madonna is believed to have pro-
tected Venice in times of war. The icon itself was pillaged from Constantinople,
where it had long served as protection for the Byzantine army.
The other great sight off St. Mark's Square is the justly famous Palazzo Ducale
(Doge's Palace) (St. Mark's Square; % 041-5209070; www.museicivi

civeneziani.it; a Museum Card € 11 for adults, allows you entry into all the muse-
ums around St. Mark's Square; Apr-Oct daily 9am-7pm, Nov-Mar 9am-5pm).
Passing through the vast array of rooms and halls here is like being transported
through another age; unfortunately you may have to struggle against large groups
of people to really get into the spirit of things. Your best bet is to try to get inside
the moment the palace opens to visitors and avoid the crowds simply by staying
ahead of them. Once you've passed through the ticket turnstiles (and I repeat: do
this early), turn right and head directly for The Golden Staircase, which will take
you into the heart of the place (you can return to study the courtyard later). Gilt-
painted, this ceremonial staircase (completed in 1559) leads up to the government
chambers as well as to the Doge's Apartments.
Bear in mind that the palace was constructed to serve several functions; not
only was it the seat of government and the place where Venice's very extensive
administrative duties were carried out, but it was also the home of the Doge and
a ceremonial palace for receiving foreign dignitaries. The over-the-top decoration
of the staircase and many of the official rooms was really a form of frivolous yet
functional showing off, whereby the glory and might of the Venetian Republic
was rubbed solidly in the eyes of anyone who cared to visit. It's up this staircase
that ambassadors and emissaries would be led en route to their meetings with the
Doge and his officials. The intention of the gilt decoration and marble statuary
was to display the unquestionable wealth of the Republic.
There are other architectural details that serve as compensation for size
(Venice, in anyone's terms, is tiny, and as a major power had to find ways of com-
pensating); when you look at the upper levels of the palace from the courtyard,
for example, note how clever design and large shuttered windows create the
impression of regal, high-ceilinged floors, while in actual fact, they are a disguise
for two floors of cramped offices.
The first landing off the Golden Staircase leads to the Doge's Apartments; keep
moving right, and you'll first pass through the Scarlet Chamber, which was
restored in 2005, with a recently rediscovered painting by Carpaccio. Beyond the
Scarlet Chamber is the Sala delle Mappe (Hall of Maps), housing off-kilter car-
tographic murals of the 16th-century world, with Venice at its center, of course.
Rooms in this section of the palace give some idea of the home life of the doges
and their families; the Erizzo Room, for example—with its patterned silk-covered
walls—is not unlike the styling of many of Venice's three-star hotel rooms. The
adjacent Grimani Room features a number of paintings of the city's symbol,
including Carpaccio's The Lion of St. Mark (1516); note how the lion's front legs
rest on land while the hind legs are on the sea, symbolizing Venetian dominion
over both. While you're on this floor, find the Philosopher's Room and ask for
directions to Titian's St. Christopher, a fresco completed in just 3 days (it's hidden
high above a doorway that opens onto a dead-end stairway).

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