A first palace was built on this site in 810, but no trace of it remains. Construction of the present Doge's Palace began around 1340 on the lagoon side, and in 1424 Francesco Foscari extended the work to the Piazzetta wing. The style is Venetian Gothic, with Renaissance additions made later. Sculptures at the corners of the lagoon wing are thought to be by Filippo Calendario.
Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon built the Porta della Carta, completed in 1442. After a fire in 1483, Antonio Rizzo rebuilt the canal side and introduced Renaissance elements. Sansovino's statues of Mars and Neptune guard the Giants' Staircase. The Great Council Chamber, 174 feet (53 m) long and 82 feet (25 m) wide, holds Tintoretto's Paradise.
The Bridge of Sighs, built in 1614, links the palace to the New Prisons. Fires in 1574 and 1577 caused damage. The palace is now a museum, which had 1.4 million visitors in 2018.
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