The Gothic palace that served as the seat of Venetian government for nearly a thousand years — home to the Doge, the Senate, the Council of Ten, and the city's law courts. The interior is extraordinary: gilded state rooms with enormous paintings by Tintoretto and Veronese, the Bridge of Sighs connecting to the prison, and a series of rooms that map the mechanisms of Venetian republican power.
Adventurous Kate's preferred Venice museum over St. Mark's Basilica for first-timers. Book online to skip queues. The "Secret Itinerary" guided tour (additional cost) goes behind the scenes into the attic and the torture chamber — worth it if available.