The Doge's Palace in Venice [antikvár]

The Doge's Palace m 'if' s The earliest permanent settlements in the lagoon of Venice seem to date back to the period following the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476), caused by the inroads of barbarian peoples. These early settlements were gradually consohdated until they were seen as outposts of the Byzantine Empire. In the 7th century, the first Dux or, in Venetian dialect, Doge was installed, probably with the approval of the Eastern Emperor, who made the local administration autonomous. This role, suspended at various times due to rivalry between various families, became permanent in the mid-8th century on the election of Doge Teodato Ipato. By the start of the 9th century, Venice was increasingly independent, isolated by its distance from the capital and confirmed by a religious difference: the dedication of the city to St. Theodore, the patron saint of Byzantium, was replaced by the cult of the Apostle Mark, whose remains, according to later historians, were supposedly preserved in the city. In 810 Doge Angelo Partecipazio moved the seat of government from Malamocco to Rivoal-to, and sought a suitable location for the organs of government of the new state. A site on land belonging to him on the islands of Rivoalto was chosen and at building commenced on the t Statue o/Eve (m one of the comers of the Doge's Palace. palatium ducis. This is still the site of the Doge's Palace, though nothing remains of the 9th-century structure. We know nothing about the form of the original palace; but we do know that in the 13th century it had a main block that was purely defensive in purpose, laid out on a square ground plan, a sort of mediaeval castle. Of the older structure, some parts of the four corner towers remain. In the 10th century the palace was partially destroyed by fire during a revolt against the Doge Pietro Candiano IV Its reconstruction, under Doge Sebastiano Ziani (1172-1178), eschewed defence in favour of a typically Venetian-Byzantine style. The palace was thus adapted to the contemporary changes in the city's institutions and the creation of new officers of state, who shared power with the Doge. Hence the need for greater space and more chambers than before. An 18th-century print shows us how the Doge's Palace was originally structured. Along the side on Piazzetta San Marco there was the building known as ad jus reddendum ( the Law Courts), vdth a colonnade on the ground floor and a loggia opening on the fii'st storey; the offices were on the upper floor. The side facing the quay had the palatium commune for deliberative assemblies: this was made by Doge's Pahice, facade on the quay. ¦1 THE DOGE'S PALACE adapting the outer wall of the old building to serve as an inner wall, and then building on one side out towards the Piazzetta and on the other towards the tower on the corner of the Ponte della Paglia. Few traces remain of this phase of construction: all one can see is a base in Istrian stone and some brick paving laid in a herringbone pattern. Further extensions became necessary in the late 13th century. In 1297 the Serrata of the Maggior Consiglio considerably increased membership of the legislative assembly from 400 to 1,200. Because of the need to enlarge the council chamber, it was decided to take in the adjoining rooms rather than build a new one on the upper storey. Work began in about 1340 under Doge Bartolomeo Gradenigo (1339-1343) and was completed in 1362, despite delays caused by the plague of 1348. For this phase of the work we have the names of some of the craftsmen: in 1361, for instance, documents mention a certain Filippo Calendaiio, stonemason, and Pietro Basejo, magister prothus, who must have been assisted by numerous other masons and sculptors, given the rapidity with which work progressed. The extensions also affected other parts of the building and when they were finally complete the palace must have looked much as we see it today. In 1424, under Doge Francesco Foseari (1423-1457), it was decided to rebuild what remained of the palace of Doge Ziani facing onto Piazzetta San Marco, both to improve its stability and for aesthetic reasons. The new building was designed as a continuation of the Doge's Palace. It starts from the relief of Justice, level with the thirteenth column of the loggia, and unites the end of the Sala del Maggior Consiglio with the main entrance to the palace, flanked by the two original structures. This new building—none of the names of the workmen are recorded—has a colonnade on the ground level and loggia above, both in the outer elevation and the elevation on the courtyard. On the same floor as the Sala del Maggior Consiglio there is a huge chamber, known as the Sala della Librería (later the Sala dello Scruti-nio). The windows and pinnacles of the gable repeat the decorative motifs on the sea facade. The elevation facing Piazzetta San Marco was completed with the construction of the Porta della Carta (1438-1442) by Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon. It was later decided to rebuild the part of the palace to which access was provided by this new door. The construction of the lobby, known as the androne Foseari, took some years, as is shown by the presence of the arms of Doge Anmiynious, Perspective plan of the city of Venice, 15th centm-y.