At the age of 16 years, he joined the civil guards in the brief defense of the Venetian republic against the Austrian reconquest.
He studied jurisprudence in the University of Padua, but soon after graduation began writing books on Venetian history.
Returning to Venice, his close friendship with Cristoforo Negri, Foreign Minister of Piedmont, and his activities made his suspect in the eyes of the Austrian authorities, and he fled to Garda.
With the annexation of Venice to the Kingdom of Italy, Berchet served in various positions as a councilor to the Royal Commissioner, Giuseppe Pasolini.
Among his major works is his contribution to the 58 volumes of comprising the Diaries of Marino Sanuto, a statesman of the Republic who lived from 1466 to 1536.