The large Sala dello Scrutinio (Hall of Ballots) was built by the mid-1400s, under Doge (Duke) Francesco Foscari (1423-1457). The large hall had originally been intended to house the precious manuscripts left by Petrarch and Bessarione to Venice (1468). It was, in fact, called the Book Hall at the time. In 1532, it was decided to count votes there. Venetian politicians used to vote continually at the time and the main floor of the assembly, the Maggior Consiglio, convened in a hall nearby. For a while, the Hall of Ballots had two functions: one cultural, one political. After architect Sansovino built a new Library, the Hall was then primarily used for counting ballots, including those for the most important vote: the election of the Doge. The extant décor of the room was carried out between 1578 and 1615, after the 1577 fire destroyed what was there prior. The ceiling was decorated by painter and cartographer Cristoforo Sorte. In each of the several sections is a depiction of Venice’s military history, with particular attention devoted to those events who augmented the Republic’s empire around the Eastern Mediterranean. The last oval celebrates the conquest of Padua in 1405.
