Palazzo delle Prigioni

The Palazzo delle Prigioni stands on the eastern edge of the Piazzetta dei Leoni, directly beside the Doge's Palace and connected to it by the famous Bridge of Sighs. Built in the late sixteenth century to relieve the overcrowded cells within the Ducal Palace itself, it served as Venice's principal state prison for several centuries, holding those convicted by the powerful Council of Ten. The building's austere stone facade contrasts sharply with the ornate Gothic and Renaissance architecture surrounding it, yet it remains an integral part of the civic ensemble that defines this corner of the lagoon city.

Today the Palazzo delle Prigioni operates as a museum, offering visitors direct access to the original cell blocks and interrogation chambers that once held the Republic's prisoners. Current experiences include a general entry ticket covering the prison's historic spaces and a dedicated exhibition entitled Venice in the Middle Ages: Documents and Torture Instruments, which draws on archival material and artefacts to examine Venetian justice, punishment, and daily life across the medieval period.