It is a well-known fact that Venice is built above a marshland and is home to famous canals, that it is traversed by boats rather than vehicles. Due to this, the city is, understandably, prone to flooding. While some of the city's most luxurious hotels and elegant stores constantly fight against their surroundings to maintain pristine buildings, other people have just given in to the reality of living and being based in Venice. One example of this is a very famous bookshop in the city, Libreria Acqua Alta, who leave the water flow as it will and have placed their goods inside waterproof containers and storage instead.
If you have a love of books and quirky, beautiful corners of the world, you need to find a holiday rental in Venice and stop by for yourself.
The self-proclaimed "most beautiful bookstore in the world" is a collection of rooms inside a store which are each stuffed to the gills with books, prints, magazines, maps and other works on paper and miscellaneous items. Their solution to the constant flooding in the city was to place the teetering piles of books inside bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even, a gondola, inside the shop. The effect is bizarre but picturesque and rather romantic. It's certainly something you are sure not to have seen before.
The self-proclaimed "most beautiful bookstore in the world" is a collection of rooms inside a store which are each stuffed to the gills with books, prints, magazines, maps and other works on paper and miscellaneous items. Their solution to the constant flooding in the city was to place the teetering piles of books inside bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even, a gondola, inside the shop. The effect is bizarre but picturesque and rather romantic. It's certainly something you are sure not to have seen before.
Even the name suggests the utter embracing of their surrounds; “libreria”, meaning bookshop and “acqua alta”, literally meaning “high water” but also being the term locals use for the flooding.
With the stacks of books covering every possible surface, old unsaleable books, like outdated encyclopaedias, used to form walls and steps and the water-side location, the bold proclamation of “most beautiful” may just be accurate.
Certainly, it must be among the most unique bookshops in the world, at least.
Libreria Acqua Alta sells new and second-hand books in several languages and was opened over a decade ago by Luigi Frizzo, a well-travelled man who speaks five languages. When you visit, he may even be there, encouraging you to climb the book-staircase at the back and to look out the “Fire Exit” to see their view out over the canal. Everything in the store may seem a little crazy and chaotic but there is still some method to the madness and a sense of humour that is prevalent. If you’re looking for crime or thrillers, for example, you'll just need to search through the books stacked in the gondola. If you have any questions, you can look for a member of staff, usually identified by the waterproof clothes and waders they wear. The best way to go about a visit is to wander around and get a little lost in the experience – you never know what you might find!
For a highly unique experience in Venice, this is an absolute must!
With the stacks of books covering every possible surface, old unsaleable books, like outdated encyclopaedias, used to form walls and steps and the water-side location, the bold proclamation of “most beautiful” may just be accurate.
Certainly, it must be among the most unique bookshops in the world, at least.
Libreria Acqua Alta sells new and second-hand books in several languages and was opened over a decade ago by Luigi Frizzo, a well-travelled man who speaks five languages. When you visit, he may even be there, encouraging you to climb the book-staircase at the back and to look out the “Fire Exit” to see their view out over the canal. Everything in the store may seem a little crazy and chaotic but there is still some method to the madness and a sense of humour that is prevalent. If you’re looking for crime or thrillers, for example, you'll just need to search through the books stacked in the gondola. If you have any questions, you can look for a member of staff, usually identified by the waterproof clothes and waders they wear. The best way to go about a visit is to wander around and get a little lost in the experience – you never know what you might find!
For a highly unique experience in Venice, this is an absolute must!
Photo credits
picture 1: Stefano Montagner / CC BY 2.0;
picture 2: Chiara Mazzola / CC BY-ND 2.0;
picture 3: Saffron Blaze / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 1: Stefano Montagner / CC BY 2.0;
picture 2: Chiara Mazzola / CC BY-ND 2.0;
picture 3: Saffron Blaze / CC BY-SA 3.0