SECRET ITINERARY OF THE PRISONS OF PIAZZA SAN MARCO

Discover the ancient Prisons in St Mark's Square connected to the Doge's Palace by the Bridge of Sighs. One of the first prisons in Europe.

You will be accompanied along the secret itinerary where you will visit places never visited before: enter the torture room and see authentic instruments used in the past to make criminals confess!

You will discover that justice was administered by the Lords of the Night: the terrible Venetian police who monitored crimes and brought offenders to the courtroom!                              

Go down into the cold cells and understand the lifestyle of the inmates: what they ate, drank and where they slept.
Admire the original graffiti left by the prisoners and then, listen to the exciting escape of Casanova: the only one who managed to break out of the maximum security prison known as "Piombi"!

Listen to the stories and legends that still reside inside these cells. Along the itinerary you will enjoy an explanation of the powerful 'Council of Ten', composed of the highest ranking members of Venetian politics who controlled justice in all Venetian domains.

Since the birth of the Republic, Venice has always been attentive to the administration of justice, which was proudly taken care of by its own judicial system, composed of courts, lawyers and magistrates. One of the main points was the operational police used to settle fights and punish the perpetrators of crimes.

Today the palace, which overlooks the splendid Riva Degli Schiavoni, is home to an important Venetian cultural institution.                                                                                                            

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PRISON PALACE IN PIAZZA SAN MARCO

The building, which is very centrally located, was designed by architect Antonio Da Ponte in 1589, and was completed around 1614.

The Palace housed one of the oldest magistracies of the Venetian Republic, 'I Signori della Notte al Criminal': this important judicial body was composed of six members representing the city's districts, who carried out policing and surveillance duties, as well as the instruction of trials.

Today the prison building is home to the Circolo Artistico degli Artisti (Artists' Circle), which welcomes guests with a variety of cultural experiences and concerts.

Visit to the secret itinerary of the Prisons of St Mark's Square
Skip the line entrance
Doge's Palace

Languages: English, French and Italian. The tour can be multilingual

Departure: 10:00 - 11:00 - 12:00 - 14:00 

Duration: 1 hour

For Covid-19 precaution the use of the mask is MANDATORY. So please bring it. 
IN ORDER TO ENTER ANY INTERIOR (MUSEUM, CHURCH, PALACE, RESTAURANT, WORKSHOP, ETC.) ALL PARTICIPANTS OVER THE AGE OF 12 MUST PRESENT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS: -PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION -PROOF OF FIRST VACCINATION ADMINISTERED AT LEAST 15 DAYS AGO -PROOF OF A COVID-19 INFECTION WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS -NEGATIVE TEST CARRIED OUT NO MORE THAN 48 HOURS BEFORE THE START OF THE ACTIVITY
Unfortunately, this tour is not fully accessible to wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments.
Comfortable shoes are recommended.
Maximum 15 people per tour
The tour is not private, but can be shared with other participants.

Meeting point: Palazzo Delle Prigioni, next to the Doge's Palace in St Mark's Square. Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes before the start time.

HOW TO REACH THE MEETING POINT

• In St. Mark's Square, with the Doge's Palace in front of you and St. Mark's Basin behind you, go right, cross the Bridge (from where you see the Bridge of Sighs) and then look left, you will see the entrance to the Prison Palace.
• Reservations can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the service, online customer service every day from 9am to 6pm. 
• The tour can be cancelled in case of exceptional high tide (in this case the tour can be rescheduled for the next day otherwise it will be refunded).