The city of Venice is filled with great spots that are quite popular amongst tourists such as St. Mark’s Square, Ponte di Rialto, St. Mark’s Basilica, The Doge’s Palace and many more, but luckily it doesn’t end there. Venice is, in fact, filled with many great monuments and hidden beauties that are just as worth your attention and you can discover with one of our Private Venice Tours.
Today we’re here to talk about Scala Contarini del Bovolo, the most prestigious spiral staircase in Venice.
Let’s explore the history and beauty of this staircase!
The history of Scala Contarini del Bovolo
Designed and built by architect Giovanni Candi, Palazzo del Bovolo was created as the residence of the Contarini Family in the XV century. The construction of the spiral staircase, which has now become one of the most beloved parts of this palace, is attributed to Giorgio Spavento who apparently added it in 1499.
This staircase was closed to the public up until February 2016 when, after some restoration work started in August 2015, it became open to visitors.
Tips for visiting Palazzo del Bovolo and its Spiral Staircase
If you’re thinking of visiting Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo and its spiral staircase, here’s some useful information to make sure your visit goes smoothly.
Palazzo del Bovolo is located in Campo Manin, in San Marco and it’s only accessible if you book tickets online. Make sure to do so since only a small group of people is allowed to enter the building every half hour! If you want to avoid mix-ups and want to have a relaxing experience, we suggest you book a private tour with us through our website!
Tickets go from 8€ for adults. Tickets for people from 12 to 26 years and 65+ are 6€ and children up to 12 years can get in for free. Palazzo Bovolo is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm every day!
Facts about Palazzo del Bovolo
Scala Contarini del Bovolo, the spiral staircase connected to Palazzo Bovolo is 28 meters high and it contains 80 red bricks and white stone steps. This staircase is located right in the middle of Rialto, Venice’s economic center and St. Mark’s Square.
The palace used to be the property of Domenico Emery in the XIX century and he transformed it into a residence for guests. One of the guests of this palace was Ernst Wilhelm Tempel, who made very important astral discoveries by observing stars from the top of the staircase and palace. This is part of the reason why this staircase got so popular over time.
Scala Contarini del Bovolo in movies
Palazzo del Bovolo and its infamous spiral staircase were featured in Orson Welles’ (an American director) adaptation of Shakespeare’s Otello in 1952. This palace was used as one of the main locations, representing Barbantio’s home.
Conclusion
Discovering the city of Venice surely is an amazing experience that needs to be done at least once in a lifetime! Always remember that there’s a lot more to every city than just the main tourist attractions and the Scala Contarini del Bovolo is a great example of this! If you want to get to know more about the city of Venice, make sure to check out our other blogs!
