Venice on a Sunday is the most perfect time to be there. The city slows down and there is a rare moment of tranquillity. It is perhaps the best time to visit the Doge’s Palace when the crowds have thinned, and the vast gothic building stands proud on the edge of Piazza San Marco with the pinky façade catching the soft afternoon light.

Whilst an unguided visit to the Doge’s Palace allows for a moment of personal reflection in a particular room or on a particular piece of history going with a guide cannot be underestimated. A guide gives access to the hidden stories or moments about historical Venetian politics. For example, the secret denunciations that could be made by Venetian citizens in the Bocca di Leone or highlighting Marino Faliero, the Doge in the 14th century who attempted to hold onto power rather than going to an election as was the status quo in Venice.

On a late Sunday afternoon, there is space to stand and admire the frescoed ceilings with the light bouncing off the gold leaf. From the state rooms to the Bridge of Sighs stark over the canal in the dim light leading to the prisons the palace is full of stories which can be fully taken in without the crowds.

I would recommend that anyone in Venice leave their visit to the Doge’s Palace on a Sunday to truly enjoy the space and tranquillity.