Procuratie

The Procuratie are three connected buildings along the perimeter of Saint Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. Two of the buildings, the Procuratie Vecchie and the Procuratie Nuove, were constructed in the sixteenth century by the Procurators of Saint Mark, the second-highest dignitaries in the government of the Republic of Venice, who were charged with administering the treasury of the Church of Saint Mark as well as the financial affairs of state wards and trust funds established on behalf of religious and charitable institutions. The Procuratie Nuove on the southern side of the square housed the official residences of the procurators whereas the Procuratie Vecchie on the northern side always contained apartments that were rented by the procurators as a source of revenue.