Libreria Acqua Alta

""One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world is located right there, in an uncrowded alley near Piazza San Marco and overlooking one of the many canals that characterize the city. It is called “Acqua Alta” ["high water] and it is an amazing and unusual place for its history, its owner, its shape and its contents. The bookshop was born in 2004 from an idea of ​​Luigi Frizzo, from Vicenza by origin but Venetian by adoption, who with his creativity and genius, perhaps the result of a life spent traveling the world, manages to tell Venice in a very unique and authentic way. The city could in fact be said to be enclosed in this microcosm made up of books, strange furnishings, cats and obviously high water. You understood perfectly well. To protect the many volumes from the water that gradually enters the shop, there are no shelves or shelves, but gondolas, canoes, boats and tubs. There is not even a digital catalog to find the desired book more easily, but you can still entrust yourself to the very kind Luigi who probably knows the location of many works by heart. In addition to being an eclectic Casanova bookseller, Mr. Frizzo is in fact a valuable guide for those who venture into his shop. He is always willing to respond to the curiosities that one has to ask and, with a beautiful smile and a little pride, he points out to tourists and customers what he defines the gems of the library: a staircase of books, the emergency exit, and the gondola. The book staircase is actually an original device to allow customers to enjoy the view over the Venetian canals and the building where Hugo Pratt set one of Corto Maltese's stories. But as Luigi reveals in an interview, what is striking is the staircase itself rather than the panorama. I assure you that you will be amazed. Don't worry though, because no book was mistreated to make it happen. It is only creative recycling as it is made up of ruined books destined for waste. Even the emergency exit is to praise: a window overlooking the canals with chairs and a sofa to be able to observe the spectacle of the rising tide or greet the gondolas that pass. To orient yourself among the tall rows of books, you will have only simple handwritten signs. The titles available are really many. Lots of used, ancient and definitely unobtainable volumes that delight pretentious readers, but also best-sellers and rather original versions such as the “Little Prince” in Venetian dialect. With a little patience and a bit of luck you could come out with the book you have been looking for for some time. And if you don't find anything interesting, don't worry because you have always visited one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. You may be wondering how such a bookstore, totally foreign to the logic of the publishing market, can survive. Perhaps you will get lost in the foreign literature section, you will walk around looking around believing you are inside a labyrinth of books, or you will take burst photographs so as not to miss even a corner of this absolute rarity. In any case, this will be a Venice that you will hardly forget, especially if you love books like us. The “Acqua Alta” bookshop is located in Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa (as a reference also Sestiere Castello 5176 / B) and is open every day from 9am to 7pm. To find out more, consult their Facebook page, linked below." - from spiccandoilvolo.com "

"The bookstore is known for its unique displays of books, which are stacked in gondolas, bathtubs, and even a full-sized gondola inside the shop, and of course, the cat that lives there. Unfortunately, the previous cat died recently and it was all around the local news and newspapers as a local said. Fortunately, they have a new cat there now. The owner of the bookstore, Luigi Frizzo, has also created a staircase made of old encyclopedias that leads to a beautiful view of the canal outside. Warning: Pickpockets may be there too, so be aware of Your belongings, because the place is narrow and full of books."

"The famously self-proclaimed "most beautiful bookstore in the world" is definitely high on the list of places to check out if you are a lover of books. This store also famously stores its books in devices that are capable of floating (bathtubs, rowboats, and even a gondola) to avoid any books being damaged when the city floods. Beware to anyone that doesn't like cats as there are a few cats that reside in and around the store."