Doge's Palace Prison Guided Tour: Cells & Dark History

The visit begins at the Prison Palace entrance on the Riva degli Schiavoni, where your guide in period costume introduces the role of the Lords of the Night and sets the historical scene for the experience ahead.

Enter the original prison cells and learn about the conditions endured by inmates, including what they ate, how they spent their time, and what survival inside these walls required.

Move through concealed passageways and stop to examine graffiti carved by prisoners directly into stone, a preserved record of voices that the official history rarely recorded.

Reach the notorious torture chamber and view original tools used during interrogations, explored through a factual account of how the Venetian justice system applied and justified these practices.

Hear the full account of Giacomo Casanova's escape and explore the reach of the Council of Ten, whose decisions shaped political and social life across the entire Republic of Venice.

The tour concludes with a look at the Palace as it stands today, a functioning artistic and cultural space that carries its difficult history into contemporary life along the Venice waterfront.