Carta Gate

Historical landmark Gate in the famous Doge Palace This is a great door, built 5 centuries ago! It is actually the exit of the Palace so easy to miss, but really pay attention it is worth it! It also leads onto San Marco so really nice exit!

Magnificent building in gothic style and paintings dated back to 14th. We got to see the legislative hall attached to prisons with a bridge

In addition to its beauty and significance, the magnificent Palazzo Ducale shows us many other interesting, fascinating, valuable works of art. Between the Basilica of San Marco and the Doge's Palace there is one of the two entrances to the Palace itself, a majestic access door made of carved marble and in the center of the Lion of San Marco with the Doge Foscari kneeling before him. The works for the execution of the Porta della Carta began in 1439 and ended in 1442. And the works were led by Bartolomeo Bon and his father. The tall and narrow structure is worked with fine Istrian marble for the load-bearing structures, in Carrara marble, both stutaurio white, veined white, and bardiglio, for almost all the statues, with Verona red for the curbs and for the window posts and in green for the Patere inserted in special niches. Among the succession of twisted marbles, cherubs and foliage, the four statues of the Fortress, Prudence, Hope and Charity stand out, all the qualities that a good government must have to lead a state for more than a thousand years, on which, above, Justice carefully watches over. The iconography refers precisely to the theme of justice, because this is in fact the part of the Palazzo "ad jus reddendum", the entrance of the offenders who had to be judged for their actions. It is called Porta della Carta because in its proximity there was a desk with a scribe which could be accessed by illiterate people who needed to write a letter, a message, a contract.

Pickpockets everywhere. I found a wallet and tried to return it to the person who lost it, but the store owner said, “Throw it in the garbage bin.” One woman was screaming for help as two guys tried to steal her wallet. Dirty, expensive, dangerous place… I will never, ever visit Italy again.

A richly decorated Gothic gateway that provides direct access to St. Mark's Square and whose name derives from the building's administrative function: all paper documents were checked, approved, and recorded, hence the term 'carta' (paper). The central figure is the winged lion—the symbol of Venice—and the Doge.

This ornate gate symbolically connects two worlds: the religious sphere of the basilica and the political power of the Palazzo Ducale. The name Carta refers to documents, as this was once the official entrance where public records were submitted and administrative matters were handled. Today, it primarily serves as the exit for visitors touring the Doge’s Palace. Built between 1438 and 1442 by the father-and-son team Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon, the gate is a masterpiece of Venetian Gothic design. Its intricate carvings and decorative elements are especially striking. Above the arch, you’ll find the winged lion of Saint Mark—Venice’s symbol—alongside a statue of Doge Francesco Foscari kneeling in reverence before it.

Adjoining the Basilica, the Carta gate was once the main entryway to the Doge's palace. Spellbinding!

The sqaure and buildings are beautiful here. But did you notice that there is no shops up for review on Google maps in this square?. This is because they can't put their business online as the reviews would kill the business. So be careful when you are shopping in this square, as I just paid 16 euro for a single shot expresso in a coffee and ice cream shop.. Absolutely ridiculous price they charge.