Secluded in the middle of the sestiere of San Marco, the palazzo’s crowning feature is the large interior flight of winding stairs that spirals up into the sky, named the Scala Contarini del Bovolo. “Del Bovolo” translates to “of the snail” in the Venetian dialect, referring to the spiral shape of the scala (staircase).

The winding tower was so popular, the “bovolo” name became forever attached to not only the palace but also the Contarini family, one of the founding families of Venice, who had the spiraling facade built to showcase their great wealth. Though it’s not far from the Campo Manin, the staircase can be quite difficult to find. It’s located on a small backstreet that requires navigating Venice’s notorious maze of narrow alleyways. It is worth the effort.