The Procuratie consist of the three interconnected buildings in Venice that frame the Piazza San Marco. They are divided into the Procuratie Vecchie and the Procuratie Nuove. Part of the complex is currently used as the seat of the Correr Museum.
Procuratie Venice
Address and public transportation
The address of the Procuratie is Piazza San Marco, snc – Venice. Vaporetto: 1, 41, 51, 82 (San Zaccaria or Vallarasso stops).
History
The first buildings were constructed around the 12th century on the north side of the Piazza San Marco. They were meant for the offices and residences of the dignitaries of the Venetian Republic, also called La Serenissima.
These first buildings (the Procuratie Vecchie) were damaged by fire in the 16th century and rebuilt under the supervision of Codussi.
The Procuratie Nuove are located on the south side of the square. Their construction was begun in 1586 by Vincenzo Scamozzi but it was Loghena who was to complete the work in 1640.
The church that used to separate the two buildings was razed in 1810 to be replaced by the so-called Napoleonic wing of the Procuratie. This part, built in neo-classical style, was designed by Giuseppe Matia Soli.
Nowadays, part of the building houses the Correr Museum (which had its original seat in the Fondaco dei Turchi).
Under the arcades of the Procuratie are historic cafes such as the Caffè Quadri, the Caffè Florian and the Caffè Lavena.
