Palazzo Ducale, a symbol of Venice and masterpiece of the Gothic Venetian, rise in the monumental area of St. Mark square, between Piazzetta and the dock. Ancient center of the Doge and the Venetian lawcourts, is today the Town Museum.

The building of the palace presumably began in the IXth century, following the transfer of the duke's residence from Malamocco in today Venice, definitely enacted in the 812 during the dogado of Angelo Partecipazio.

Of the original project, perhaps on model of the Diocleziano's Palatium in Split, today nothing survives: in 828 the arrival of the mortal remains of the evangelist, in 864 a long siege by the rebels responsible of the doge Pietro Tradonico's murder and finally in 976 the death Pietro IV Candiano, his son and co-regent during an uprising which followed a furious fire that destroyed the whole building and big part of the city.

It followed the reconstruction started by Pietro I Orseolo (976-979), a strengthened nucleus constituted from a central body and from corner towers, surrounded by the water.

The complex suffered a great renovation that turned the native fortitude into an elegant building without fortifications. A new enlargement was realized between the end of XIIIth century and the beginning of XIVth century, to serve to the new demands of the republican state followed to the Shut one of the Greatest Suggestion, whose room was widened. In 1310 an assault attempt to the building was repressed during a conspiracy led by Bajamonte Tiepolo.

Beginning from 1340, under the dogado of Bartholomew Gradenigo, the building underwent a radical transformation toward the actual shape. In 1404 the façade was finished on the dock, in 1423, they were started the works on the side toward the piazzetta and the basilica, in 1439 they also began the Door of Paper (Porta della Carta), on a project of the architects Giovanni and Bartholomew Bon and the whole complex of works, developed during the long dogado of Francis Foscari, finished in 1443. After 1483 great fire the inner part was rebuilt with works that actually continued to 1492 and the construction of the Staircase of the Giants. Between 1575 and 1580 Titian and Veronese were called to decorate the inside of the building and their work ended up inserting him in the reconstruction of the rooms of the southern wing damaged during the fire of 20th December 1577.

At the beginning of XVIIth century were added the so-called New Jails designed by the architect Antonio Contin. This new wing, center of the Lords of the Night (judges entrusted to prevent and to repress crimes), is connected to the palace through the Bridge of the Sighs, crossed by the convicts translated from the courts, to the jails.

After the fall of Venice Republic, whose end was stated on 12th May 1797, the building was not used as prince residence and lawcourt anymore, but it was turned to administration offices during Napoleon's and Hapsburgs' Empires. The jails preserved their function and they were the location of Silvio Pellico's writings. With Venice annexation to Italy the building suffered further renovations and from 1923 till today it was destined to museum.