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Initially built as castle
in the ninth century, was transformed under the dogeate
of Sebastiano Ziani (1172-78) as dogal residence that
also welcomed the Major and Minor Council and some
offices of the magistracy. During the first years of 1300
it was enlarged and the works lasted until the 1463; the
building, originally of Byzantine style, amalgamated the
Gothic forms, that respected the initial configuration of
the building in a series of full volumes to the superior
plan, characterized by a full wall little with few
windows decorated with geometric motives with white and
pink stones, and empty to the inferior plan,
characterized by a long series of columns, embellished by
capitals ( sixteenth and fifteenth centuries ) that for
the greatest part today are kept in the Museum of the
Work of Building. The Building was victim of many fires
(1484 and 1577, year when was destroyed the Room of the
Major Council and with it the pictures of the greatest
painters of the time) that they required the
reconstruction of some parts of it ( work of Antonio da
Ponte and Antonio Rizzo) respecting the original
architectural aspect. Today it is used for expositions
and it houses the offices of the Superintendence for the
Venetian Environmental and Architectural Goods. The two
façades that give on the dock and on the little square
measure 70 meters; they have few ogival windows edged
with precious balconies dating back to the first years of
he ' 400 (Dalle Masegne) and of 1536 (Scarpagnino and
Sansovino). From the ninth arcade of the loggia of the
façade that gives on the little square that
distinguishes itself for the red color of the marble of
the columns, the sentences of death were read. |