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The noble family who built this spiral staircase gave it the name "snail" because it was so unusual.
Tucked away in the heart of Venice, unnoticed by most visitors, is the astonishing Scala Contarini del Bovolo. Built at the very end of the 15th century, it is so extraordinary that it gave its name to both the palace and to an entire branch of the aristocratic Contarini family who dwelled there. Found in the sestiere of San Marco, this “snail staircase” coils itself around a tower-like facade. Its moniker “del Bovolo” translates into “of the snail” in Venetian dialect, perfectly embodying its spiral structure.
