Coming to St. Mark's Square is a unique experience. Magnificent. In addition to the beautiful St. Mark's Basilica and the magnificent Doge's Palace, we immediately notice the beautiful buildings. The Procuratie are three connected buildings (Procuratie Vecchie, Procuratie Nuove and Procuratie ala Napoleonica) in the shape of a horseshoe, in St. Mark's Square. These are historic buildings with offices where the Procurators of St. Mark, esteemed officials of the city and the Venetian Republic worked. The history of the origin of these buildings is extremely interesting. Doge Sebastiano Ziani (1172 to 1178), after buying land from the nuns of Sr. Zaccaria, had a building erected in the square with loggias like galleries, which later served as the apartments of the procurator of San Marco. Later in the 16th century when the old buildings burned down in a fire the Procuratie Vecchie was built. The Procuratie Vecchie, is a Renaissance building, 152 m long on the north side of the square, which continues to the Torre dell'Orologio. Were designed by the architects Bartolomeo Bon and Guglielmo dei Grigi, and later by Jacopo Sansovino in the first half of the sixteenth century completed it, in 1538. The old procurators have two floors, on the ground floor there is a loggia with arcades (50 arches that are harmoniously connected with 100 windows in the upper two floors). They were completed in 1640 by Longena. During the Kingdom of Italy the building was adapted for the royal residence (Palazzo Reale). Today, the upper floors of the New Procuratorate are the Museo Correr, the Museo del Risorgimento, the Archaeological Museum, the Venice Public Administration and part of the Marciana Library. In the arcades of the Procuratie Vecchie and the Procuratie Nuove are the most famous, oldest and most expensive Venetian cafes: Gran Caffè Quadri, Caffè Florian (Casanova, Ghoete ... favorite place) which opened its doors on December 29, 1720, and Caffe Lavena (Richard Wagner favorite place). The procuratios took the form of a horseshoe (or inverted U) after Napoleon Bonaparte decided to demolish the Church of San Geminiano, thus gaining space for new procuratorates, called the Ala Napoleonica, the Napoleonic Wing. What to say, there is always a wonderful atmosphere here. People like to visit shops, coffee bars, museums ... in this area because there is a rich...
Read moreDon't go! This is extremelly bad project, I was revolted. Positive reviews must be sponsored, cannot be an other way. There is absolutly nothing to see: the space is a 500 years restored brick attick with nothing special in it: no decors, no carpentry, no exceptional volume, not even a view from windows on piazza san marco, because it's just a banal brick attick. The terrace is closed 90% of the time, which we wonder why because that might be the only interest in the visit (but not worth paying 12 euros for it). Even there is zero visitor on the floor, none of the 5 staff would assist you. They say it opens once a week, and of course it's never your day...The exhibition content is a scandal, it's simply very very bad. Typical shallow green washing show : some kind of pretentious complicated interractive set design to tell us on a childish manner that if we all hold hands we could go around the planet and save the world. It's simply ridiculous. I thought it must be a didactic exhibition for scholars under 10 !! "Absolutly not!" Answered me with pride the staff there. At this moment I really felt I was 10 years old. This is how low adults are considared. When we left the building with group I was with, we were...
Read moreProcuratie Vecchie is a remarkable historical building located in Venice, offering a glimpse into the city's rich architectural heritage. The structure is beautifully preserved, showcasing intricate designs and craftsmanship. It's a must-visit for anyone interested in exploring Venice's history and architecture. The atmosphere around the building is serene, making it a perfect spot for a leisurely stroll and appreciation of the city's past. Highly recommended for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in Venice's...
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