Palazzo Ducale, Venice

This is recognized as a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. The Doge’s Palace is an impossing structure composed of layers of building elements and ornamentation, from its 14th and 15th century original foundations to the significant Renaissance and opulent Mannerist adjunctions. The structure is made up of three large blocks, incorporating previous constructions. The wing towards the St. Mark’s Basin is the oldest, rebuilt from 1340 onwards. The wing towards St. Mark’s Square was built in its present form from 1424 onwards. The canal-side wing, housing the Doge’s apartments and many government offices, dates from the Renaissance and was built between 1483 and 1565.

One thing that is clear walking through this building that has been renovated and added on to multiple times is that the Doge was in charge. He had the government, the judicial branch, the censors, and the spiritual component of Venetian life all on his property under his control. The building is stripped of almost all it's furnishings, but the ceilings more than the floors and walls ooze with oppulence. Howeverm when the Republic fell in 1797, the role of the palace inevitably changed. Venice was firstly subjected to French rule, then to Austrian, and ultimately, in 1866, it became part of a united Italy.