The Most Beautiful Bookshop in the World

Posted by on August 29, 2015 in Advice + Tips, Art, Bookstores, Italy, Local Color, Venice | 1 comment

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It may be self-proclaimed, but it may also be true! Who is to say, really, which is the most beautiful bookshop in the world? As a graphic designer and artist, I would have to say that their sign in no way indicates the beauty that awaits any book lover inside Alta Acqua Libreria, hidden somewhere in Venice…

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After all, how many bookshops display their wares in an antique gondola? And how many have a secret staircase out back, made of books, that leads to a classic view of a beautiful Venetian canal…

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Or a fire exit that looks like this…

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Books are displayed in bathtubs and other boats as well, under chandeliers no less…

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And there is a side entrance that’s just as intriguing…

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There are thousands of books in this bookshop to choose from, including classics, like “The Little Prince”…

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and art books of the masters…

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…and of course, books about Venice! Yes, they are almost all in Italian, but haven’t you always wanted to learn Italian? Now’s your chance! And they are objects of beauty, regardless of what language they are in.

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You can find old maps and prints…

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…and postcards, antique as well as contemporary.

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The displays are unusual and imaginative…

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…as is the signage.

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So don’t worry about getting lost in this most beautiful bookshop…

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…unless you want to!

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1 Comment

  1. I love this!!! I love how I get an armchair view of slice of life -off the beaten path beauty. Feeling grateful to see such things!!! Xo!:-) happy trails!!!

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