Today I went on the secret tour of The Doges Palace. It was amazing to see the opulance of the Venitan Republic. Before Nepolean conqured Italy it was comprised of different countries. Everyone spoke different languages, and were ruled in different ways. I really enjoyed hearing about how the government was run. The Doge was elected for life, but the trick was that he was elected in his 70s so the likelyhood of him living for more than a few years was slim. The Grand Counclier, the dodges right hand man, on the other hand, was elected for life in his 20s and made 50,000 euros a month so that he could be trusted not to give away the states secrets. Nice work if you can get it. I also loved hearing about Cassanova and I cant wait to read his memiors. I saw his prison cell and learned that he was a mystic, not just a sex addict. Im pretty sure I would have fallen for him in a heartbeat. After the tour I headed home to tke a nap and enjoyed a lazy Saturday. The photos are of the outside of the palace where the palace connects with Saint Marks Bassillica, and of the top of the stairs where the Dodge would adress the citizens.
