Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo in Venice

You're standing in a quiet little lane in Venice, close to Campo Manin. Far fewer people wander through here than along the busy route between the Rialto and Campo Santo Stefano, even though you're roughly halfway between the two. Look up at the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. It's a small palace, but you'll see right away why it's famous. A staircase winds up the outside in a spiral, one arch after another. Bovolo literally means 'of the snail', and once you know that, you can't unsee it: a snail shell made of stone.