'The Grand Canal & Doge's Palace, Venice', 1844. The Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale) in Venice, Italy, was completed in 1424. It served as the residence for the ruler of Venice, the Doge, as well as housing various political and legal offices associated with the government of the Venetian republic. The palace was in all senses the political heart of Venice until the last Doge abdicated in 1797. Engraving after a painting in the Royal Watercolour Society, London. [Fisher Son & Co, London & Paris, 1844].