We bet you can't find it. But please try! Discovering the staircase at the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is well worth the effort. The word 'bovolo' means snail shell. Aptly named, since the external staircase we're talking about is spiral-shaped, like a shell.
Built in ca.1499, the Palazzo's gothic staircase is white marble, reused from an ancient church. The effect of this grand staircase is amazing. With columns & railings gently curving up, up, up. It has been called Venice's Leaning Tower of Pisa.
But coming upon it through a maze of very narrow alleyways (and we mean narrow, even by Venetian standards) is the best part. It's off the Calle della Vida, near La Fenice (the opera house). But a map in hand isn't all that helpful. The way to the staircase is marked by small signs with arrows. But again, not much help since someone couldn't seem to make up his mind from one sign to the next. A few words of Italian, including where... "dove?" are helpful, but only if you come face to face with real Venetians down one of the alleyways. More likely you'll literally bump into another tourist looking for the exact same thing, also at a loss for directions.
But persevere. And please try to find the Bovolo after dusk, on a moonlit evening. That makes your search even more difficult (sorry), but it makes the surprise awaiting you even better.
At that time, you'll come upon this stone wedding cake in all its glory. Its marble staircase, the cake's icing, becomes illuminated by the moon against the dark walls of the palazzo. All this is jammed into an area crowded by other dark old buildings. You'll have to crane your neck way back to take in this architectural masterpiece.
What we didn't see were all the cats that supposedly hang out on the stairs. And we didn't see any sign of life behind the windows, although the Palazzo is privately owned and well-fenced.
This is a situation where the search is just as enjoyable as the find. The "find" in this case, is icing on the cake. Venice is an island full of such off-the-beaten-path treasures to enjoy. If you can find them.