After his invasion of Venice, Napoleon made a number of changes to the running of the Republic and its appearance. He ordered a ballroom to be attached to the Procuratie Nuove and the old granary - Fontegheto della Farina - demolished so that guests could see the Bacino di San Marco. This project fell to his stepson Eugene Beauhamais the oldest child of Empress Josephine.

On the freshly cleared site, a neo-classical pavilion was built, called the Casino di Caffe. This is now the tourist information office and gift shop. To the east an enclosed garden was laid out. Today the benches of the Giardini Reali (Royal Gardens) offer greenery in winter and welcome shade in the summer. Meanwhile, the path is thronged when painters, trinket vendors and souvenir sellers, all jostling for tourists' attention