Editing Doge's Palace (section)

===Old Prison or Piombi===
Prior to the 12th century, there were holding cells within the Doge's Palace but during the 13th and fourteenth centuries more prison spaces were created to occupy the entire ground floor of the southern wing. Again these layouts changed in c.1540 when a compound of the ground floor of the eastern wing was built. Due to their dark, damp and isolated qualities they came to be known as the Pozzi (the Wells).<ref name="auto">Geltner, G., 2008. ''The Medieval Prison: A Social History''. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (pp.12)</ref> In 1591 yet more cells were built in the upper eastern wing. Due to their position, directly under the lead roof, they were known as [[Piombi]].<ref name="auto"/> Among the famous inmates of the prison were [[Silvio Pellico]] and [[Giacomo Casanova]]. The latter in his biography describes escaping through the roof, re-entering the palace, and exiting through the Porta della Carta.