Visit Venice prisons are a great way to discover the mysteries of the Serenissima Republic.
During your visit, I advise you not to miss these places.
Let's discover them together.
Venice prisons: article summary
Venice's prisons: what to expect?
After visiting the halls of Venetian power in the Doge's Palace, you'll follow a suggestive itinerary inside the Serenissima's prisons and cross the famous pont des Soupirs.
In the old Venetian prisons, there were three areas where convicts were imprisoned:
- the new prisonswhich the condemned entered by crossing the magnificent Bridge of Sighs, suspended over the Rio di Palazzo Ducale
- The Piombi more pleasant prisons for less dangerous prisoners
- The Pozzi cold, damp cells on the first floor.
A visit to Venetian prisons inevitably leads to a discussion of civil life and political institutions. A dive into the past to discover politics, the state organization and justice of a republic of the past.
A unique opportunity to understand the complexity of the Venetian political machine, and the mysteries and legends that revolve around it! Here, you'll discover Venice at its darkest and most hidden. You'll also understand the strength of political power and the the city's pride as an independent republic.
A brief history of Venice's prisons
The New Prisons were commissioned in the 16th century to lock up criminals and house the offices of the Signori di Notte al Criminal. Prisoners who had committed serious crimes against the Republic were locked up in the terrible, cold, cramped prisons.
You can see how they ate, how they lived, how they slept. The light is dim, the humidity high, and you can still make out the inscriptions engraved on the wall by desperate prisoners awaiting trial.
During your visit, you'll pass from one cell to the next, amid a thousand stories and anxieties. You'll discover the stories of those who found themselves locked up in the Piombi, the hot, stifling prisons of the attic, known as the grouping together the least dangerous criminals.
Giacomo Casanova, the most libertine Venetian of all time, was imprisoned right here! This cunning character managed to escape from his cell several times.
Passage over the Pont des Soupirs and access to the Doge's Palace are also included. Today, the Palazzo delle Prigioni is the home of a well-known Venetian cultural institution that hosts shows and concerts. The building was designed by the architect Antonio Da Ponte in 1614.
Why not visit Venice's prisons?
On a tour of Venice's prisons, listen to the stories and legends that have taken place in these halls and cells. The Republic of Venice has always been careful in the administration of justice, and has always looked with pride upon its public institutions.
Here, you plunge into the past to discover the complex machinery of Venetian power and all its most hidden secrets!
What are the opening hours?
You can visit Venice's prisons:
- Every day 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Between April and October, the venue is open until 7.30pm.
How much does admission cost?
To visit the prisons, you have to pay an entrance fee. Fortunately, this is relatively affordable, and includes the various museums in Piazza San Marco. To visit the prisons, you'll need to pay :
- 25 € per adult
- 13 € for students aged 6 to 14
Admission is free for children under 5.
Venice's prisons are a beautiful and mysterious place to visit. IF this is your first visit to the old town, it's a place you can't afford to miss.
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