Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo

Petit palace.

A corner for observing Venice from a hidden place. This palace, possibly the smallest in the city, is lost at one end of the Campo Manin street near the Rialto Bridge. Despite its size, it represents one of the most curious and least frequented of the city where you enter to feel history in intimacy. The first thing you can admire in the building is its architecture, a transition between Gothic and Renaissance of the 15th century. Although it is not certain who designed the building, many attribute the work to Giovanni Candi. Once inside, you must climb its spiral staircase which takes its name, bovolo in Italian, from the inner courtyard. The particularity of this is its location outside the facade and its countless arches, so that by climbing you will see the outside to the patio and Venetian backstreets. After visiting, go to a viewpoint situated at the top of the building which offers a beautiful view of the city. Although it is not as impressive as a view of the city’s belfries, it is particularly appreciated because of the lack of crowds.