Books, Venice

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We found a lot of sights and stores by getting lost. This one we stumbled upon when we were trying to find a museum. Instead we saw this bookstore for used books and went in.It was fun to look around. All sorts of books were on display or packed in boxes. There had been high water that day and the shop owner showed me how close the water had come to his books. It seems he has to move them up a few times a year!

In front of his shop he had some more books and two boxes, which had been taken over by his cats. They enjoyed their nap there.

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What to buy: "The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese" by Guido Fuga and Lele Vianello is the most interesting and the most unusual Venice travel guide. It is based on "the thirty years of uncountable walks made in Venice, together with the Maestro Hugo Pratt" and it is illustrated by Hugo Pratt, Guido Fuga and Lele Vianello. "The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese" manages to bring the atmosphere of Corto Maltese comic books in the real, common tourist paths… It is valuable part of "equipment" for any tourist in Venice who has the ambition to see more than San Marco and Rialto.

It is not easy to find and buy "The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese" on the internet, but it is available at almost every bookshop in Venice. A bit more than 15 Euros is well spent money.

Here is what you can read on the back cover of English edition: "Seven itineraries of drawings, imagination and practical advice, discovering masterpieces, courtyards and Stones imbued with history, fables and legends, but also osterias, restaurants and the 'right' places for a drink, a meal or simply, to savour a particular atmosphere or mood in a secluded, magical, 'hidden' Venice: the Venice of Corto Maltese."

This bookstore is centrally located, not far from the train station. There are many book guides about Venice but also books about Venetian cousine and culture. There are many of them in English and many more in Italians of course. The most important is that I found here “The Secret Venice of Corto Malteze”, a great non typical guide book that shows some off the beaten path itineraries. It costs € 16,50 and it is great a souvenir because you easily read it on its own anyway. I love Hugo Pratt and Corto Malteze anyway but that’s another story :)

What to pay: Rio Terra della Maddalena, cannaregio 2001

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I heard about this place from friends and immediately wanted to go find it, if you love books this is a place you cant miss! The Libreria Acqua Alta is really the most beautiful bookstore in the world, as the owner wrote in a sign outside.
When you will walk in you will know why... it is amazing, books are everywhere, Mr. Luigi, the owner, set them by subjects in long shelves and.... inside a gondola, inside some boats and inside some old bathtube!!! Mostly are used book that you can buy very cheap, but also new books, many interesting books about Venice, its arts, its colture, its food. A big area of the shop is covered by hundreds of old comics, Tex Willer, Diabolik, so much more.
This is a place to get lost in... to wonder through the shelves hunting for hidden treasure, will make you feel like you are panning for gold!!

What to buy: books about Venice, old books, antique books, comics

What to pay: New book have current price, but many of the old one is 2-3 euro each.

This bookstore, located within six minutes of the train station in Venice has proven to be a God send to me, because I 'Need' to read.

This is primarily an Italian book store, but fortunately, they have included books for English readers also, as well as a decent selection of guide books and maps.

At present, the English section (poorly marked) is located behind the sales counter, in the second of two rooms. You won't have a real big choice, but, a book is a book.

What to buy: They have a good selection of cook books, written in 'all' languages, plus many guide books in various languages as well.

The selection of novels consists of authors like Stephen King, and Michael Crichteon, Sandra Brown, and Patricia Cornwell.

A computer is nice, but nothing beats a good 'old fashioned' book.

What to pay: English books range from 10 euro to about 14 euro. (all English books in Italy are expensive) Guide books widely vary, as do language books and maps.