The Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo (also called the Palazzo Contarini Minelli dal Bovolo) is a small ''

palazzo A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

'' in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, best known for its external multi-

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

spiral staircase known as the Scala Contarini del Bovolo (literally, "of the snail"). The ''palazzo'' is located in a small, less-travelled ''calle'' (street) near Campo Manin, about half-way between Campo San Bartolo, at the foot of the

Rialto The Rialto is a central area of Venice, Italy, in the ''sestiere'' of San Polo. It is, and has been for many centuries, the financial and commercial heart of the city. Rialto is known for its prominent markets as well as for the monumental Rialto ...

, and Campo Santo Stefano. The staircase leads to an

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

, providing an impressive view of the city roof-tops. This palazzo has been visitable since February 2016.

History

The ''palazzo'' was designed and built in its current form in the 15th century by the architect

Giovanni Candi Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * '' Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend ...

as one of the city residences of the

Contarini The House of Contarini is one of the founding families of Venicehttps://archive.org/details/teatroaraldicose02tett, Leone Tettoni. ''Teatro araldico ovvero raccolta generale delle armi ed insegne gentilizie delle piu illustri e nobili casate ...

family. Giorgio Spavento is believed to have been responsible for the addition of the grand spiral staircase on the exterior in 1499. The Palazzo del Bovolo was chosen by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

as one of the main locations (

Brabantio Brabantio (sometimes called Brabanzio) is a character in William Shakespeare's ''Othello'' (c. 1601–1604). He is a Venetian senator and the father of Desdemona. He has entertained Othello in his home countless times before the play opens, thu ...

's house) for his 1952 adaptation of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''Othello'', and the staircase is prominently featured in the film. The staircase was closed to the public for restoration work which began in August 2015 but is now open.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palazzo Contarini Del Bovolo Contarini del Bovolo Stairways House of Contarini