Scala Contarini del Bovolo and Sala del Tintoretto – Renaissance architecture
Renaissance art and architecture: Scala Contarini del Bovolo and Sala del Tintoretto
Highlights
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What awaits you on site
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The Scala Contarini del Bovolo, a spectacular spiral staircase, is an extension of the Gothic Palazzo Contarini. The building was commissioned by Pietro Contarini, the former owner of the palace, in the 15th century and is now one of the most famous Renaissance buildings. At the top of the staircase is a domed room that offers a wonderful view over Venice. The loggia on the second floor of the Scala del Bovolo leads to the representative hall of the Palazzo Contarini (Sala del Tintoretto), where paintings, sculptures and objects are exhibited that provide an exciting insight into the tastes of the Venetian patricians of that time.
The most beautiful spiral staircase in Venice: the Scala Contarini del Bovolo – a staircase as a decorative feature
During its long existence, which spans five centuries of Venetian history, the palace, now known as Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, has undergone numerous changes. In the late fifteenth century, the building was adapted to modern Renaissance tastes with the construction of the loggia and the graceful spiral staircase known as the ‘bovolo’ (Venetian for ‘snail’). The spiral staircase is built into an eighty-foot-high cylindrical tower. Its striking appearance is due to the alternating red cotto bricks and white Istrian stone, and eighty steps lead up to the various loggias and the viewing point. This concept is unusually elaborate for an external staircase and was completely new in this form. The staircase ends in a domed room that offers an excellent view over the entire city.
Visitor information
Opening hours
Monday, 27 October 2025 to Sunday, 22 February 2026:
Daily 9.30 am to 5.30 pm with last admission at 5.00 pm.
Calle Contarini del Bovolo, San Marco 4303, 30124 Venice, Italy
