Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo has a strategical position, in fact, it is equidistant from Rialto – the economic center of Venice –, and from Saint Mark, the political heart of the Republic.
During the years, Palazzo Contarini was subject to numerous changes and renovations and During the late fifteenth century, the graceful spiral staircase known as “Bovolo” (Venetian word that means “snail”) was added to the Palace, with its Reinassance taste.
The twenty-eight-meter high cylindrical tower containing the spiral six floors staircase is chromatically characterized by the alternation of red Cotto bricks and white Istria stone.
Traces of the older Gothic architecture are still visible both on the outside and the inside of the edifice. In fact, on the side facing Saint Mark, there are visible portions of lavish floral decoration, while the main façade still preserves the pristine late-Gothic appearance.
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