Libreria Acqua Alta - Venice

“Filled with books that fall out of gondolas, bathtubs, and small boats.”

~ Trip Advisor

I visited Libreria Acqua Alta back in September 2007. My husband and I had booked the owner Luigi Frizzo’s B&B for a few nights and both being avid readers were thrilled to discover his bookstore was situated just across the alleyway from the apartment. It’s a labyrinthine place where you could easily spend many hours browsing. Luigi has a very eclectic collection of books on sale, as well as postcards and art prints. There are always a few cats around the place sunning themselves. I’ll always remember how odd it was to see a canoe tied up in the canal just outside the back door with water lapping up the steps. It even floods there sometimes…

Luigi is a friendly man who’s well travelled and easy to talk to. He’s even visited Brisbane, Australia, where I live. His B&B, which is also his own home, was chock full of antiques and bric-a-brac.

I can highly recommend Libreria Acqua Alta to anybody visiting Venice. It’s a bit of an effort finding the store along all those winding alleyways, but you’ll get there in the end. The address is Calle Longa, Santa Maria Formosa.

~ Rach Loosemore

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