Venetian Glories - St. Marks and Doge Palace

We visited the Byzantine Basilica of St. Marks (patron saint of Venice). The church was filled with stunning gold mosaics - covering the walls and ceilings. The floors were not in gold but they were also covered with unbelievable mosaics. Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures so books of Venice were needed to keep our memory alive.
Next our visit to Doge Palace(no pictures allowed inside), the home of the Venetian Republic for hundreds of years. The Doge ruled the Venetian Republic and he and his family lived in the palace. He had 6 advisers; when meeting with the 300 senators or the public, 3 advisers sat to each side of the Doge. The Doge was usually very old and hence served a short time and we learned he was not exempt from the law as one Doge was found guilty of planning against the State and he was executed on the very day he was found guilty.
There were also 2,000 representatives from various locations in the Republic taking up the largest single covered room not supported by pillars in Italy at that time. Then we visited the room where citizens appeared in front of the judges - known as the Terrible Ten. From here a citizen could become a prisoner for crimes against the State possibly for life or be sentenced to death by hanging which happened in the square right outside the palace as a public spectacle. The sentence occurred quickly - usually that very day. In the beginning the prison was in the castle and later it was built next door using the Bridge of Sighs to cross into the prison. It is said that prisoners often sighed as they took their last look at beautiful Venice. The jail cells were on several levels giving the highest level to nobility, but looking at the cells it is hard to imagine pleasure in these cells. This prison was used until 1921.
Next to the judges room was the Justice Room, actually an interrogation room. There were secret passages that led upstairs to the torture room - usually used only at night. Secret passages led all over the castle and the also led from the prison to the torture chamber. I felt a relief leaving the Doge Palace.
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