Venice… beautiful, romantic, nostalgic. Who would have guessed that amongst its treasures is one of the most eccentric, funky and quirky bookshops ever seen?

This is not a bookshop for people looking for a specific book (forget about it!). It is laid out roughly by language – and fairly randomly within that category. Yet it is almost like an art installation (perhaps a slightly smelly one, if we may say so), of which the visitor immediately feels part and cannot help but spend hours looking at the piles of books kept in bathtubs, in boats and generally everywhere – unless, of course, the acqua alta comes through the back door…

All images courtesy of Stefania Signorello