You'll explore one of the oldest prisons in Europe, on this guided tour of the Palazzo delle Prigioni in Venice, a building overlooking the San Marco basin and connected to the Doge's Palace. You'll visit the interior of Casanova's cell!
Palazzo delle Prigioni Tour
At the agreed time we'll meet at the entrance gate of the Palazzo delle Prigioni, located on the Riva degli Schiavoni and next to the Doge's Palace. Ready to embark on an adventure to visit the ancient prisons of Venice?
On this tour we'll visit the three floors of the palace, a Venetian building built in the 16th century. Did you know it was designed by the same architect who designed the Rialto Bridge?
During the route, we'll see the torture chambers and where the cells are, to learn how the prisoners lived. Casanova broke out of one of these very same cells... Do you want to know how he managed to escape? This, and much more, will be revealed during this tour.
The guide will tell us about the legends surrounding the 'Prison Palace' and the harsh decisions and rulings made by the Council of Ten, which was one of the highest governing bodies of the Republic of Venice from 1310 to 1797.
After 45 minutes of uncovering the mysteries of this old Venetian prison, we'll bid our guide farewell and end the tour.
Maleficia Exhibition
During your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the permanent Maleficia exhibition, a display located inside the palace that focuses on the history of the Inquisition. In its galleries, you’ll see a valuable collection of original artifacts and instruments of torture used during one of the city’s darkest periods.
If you’d like to visit only this exhibition, you can also purchase a ticket for “Maleficia” through this link.
