Alta Acqua Bookshop

Venice was once the printing capital of the world. It is here that leading printer and publisher Aldus Manutius invented paperback books that could be carried in a saddle bag. Accordingly, the Libreria Alta Acqua in Venice has proclaimed itself to be the most beautiful bookshop in the world. And it’s definitely up there.

This Aladdin’s cave of books et al is a wonder that has to be seen to be believed. Piles upon piles of books fill every possible space in seemingly disordered chaos. As if poised ready to salvage their contents from the rising waters of Venice, bathtubs and barrels and canoes have been turned into makeshift shelves, already overflowing with ageing pages. An entire gondola takes pride of place in the centre of the shop, buried under hefty tomes and quirky sculptures. Resident cats guard the entrance in a nod to the city’s fabled mascot.

Each room is a labyrinth of novels, guidebooks, dossiers, reference books, comics, novellas, art books, children’s stories and vinyls. Expensive antique volumes are stacked to the rafters on open shelves, detailing everything from Venetian history and the Renaissance lifestyle to the origin of species and modern cooking techniques.

At the back of the shop in a small courtyard, battered old volumes have been turned into a staircase of books, with makeshift bannisters of propped-up gondola oars. The stepped walkway invites visitors to climb up and peer over the brick wall at the canals and passing boats below. It’s like something out of Alice in Wonderland. 

For a family composed of at least two very dedicated bookworms, this was heaven on Earth!