Libreria Acqua Alta
On a quiet calle in Castello stands a bookshop that has become one of Venice's most joyful surprises: Libreria Acqua Alta, where thousands of second-hand and antique books are stored in gondolas, bathtubs and a full-size canoe to protect them from flood water. It is genuinely, brilliantly eccentric.
Inside the Bookshop
Owner Luigi Frizzo has been running the shop since 2004 and makes no apology for the organised chaos. Cats wander the stacks freely, a gondola in the centre of the shop holds Italian-language paperbacks, and a clawfoot bathtub is piled with travel photography books. The smell of old paper and canal water is oddly perfect.
At the back, a staircase made entirely of stacked encyclopaedias leads to a small terrace overlooking a rio (canal). It is one of the most-photographed corners of Venice and you'll understand why the moment you see it.
What to Buy
The stock leans heavily toward art, architecture, photography and Italian literature, with a reasonable English-language section. Prices are fair for second-hand material — most paperbacks are €3–8. Antique maps and vintage Venice postcards make excellent, lightweight souvenirs.
The shop floods regularly in winter and the staff treat it with cheerful resignation — if you visit during acqua alta, you may well find Luigi in wellies, rearranging gondola cargo.
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