collage42 -Pia-Vittoria
Venice Carnival -Scala del Bovolo
Its full name is Scala Contarini del Bovolo, and it is the most famous spiral staircase in Venice, adjacent to the building that gives it its name. Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a magnificent example of Venetian Gothic architecture, and is located in the San Marco district, right in the tourist centre. Yet you have to look for it to find it, because it is difficult to pass in front of it as it is a building set in a dead end. Moreover, the external facade on the Rio San Luca has a simple, elegant but not particularly peculiar appearance. It is the one that overlooks the internal courtyard, known as the Corte del Maltese, that presents itself in all its magic.
Built between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the staircase was added to the Palazzo dei Contarini only later, which was called 'del bovolo' due to its spiral shape - the spiral was precisely called 'bovolo' in Venetian. It was not strange for the time to make helical stairs, but what makes the staircase of Palazzo Contarini unique is its structure and size. 26 meters high, with a diameter of 4.7, it is made up of bricks and Istrian stone, and is made up of loggias and arches throughout its height. The 80 monolithic steps go up counterclockwise, and lead to a domed belvedere that offers a wonderful view over the roofs of the city. The arches and columns that run its entire length give the staircase a peculiar appearance, in which some experts see a sort of link between the Gothic period and the Renaissance.
Venice Carnival -Scala del Bovolo
Its full name is Scala Contarini del Bovolo, and it is the most famous spiral staircase in Venice, adjacent to the building that gives it its name. Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is a magnificent example of Venetian Gothic architecture, and is located in the San Marco district, right in the tourist centre. Yet you have to look for it to find it, because it is difficult to pass in front of it as it is a building set in a dead end. Moreover, the external facade on the Rio San Luca has a simple, elegant but not particularly peculiar appearance. It is the one that overlooks the internal courtyard, known as the Corte del Maltese, that presents itself in all its magic.
Built between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the staircase was added to the Palazzo dei Contarini only later, which was called 'del bovolo' due to its spiral shape - the spiral was precisely called 'bovolo' in Venetian. It was not strange for the time to make helical stairs, but what makes the staircase of Palazzo Contarini unique is its structure and size. 26 meters high, with a diameter of 4.7, it is made up of bricks and Istrian stone, and is made up of loggias and arches throughout its height. The 80 monolithic steps go up counterclockwise, and lead to a domed belvedere that offers a wonderful view over the roofs of the city. The arches and columns that run its entire length give the staircase a peculiar appearance, in which some experts see a sort of link between the Gothic period and the Renaissance.