Mare di Carta Bookstore, Bookshop in Santa Croce, Venice, Italy
Libreria Mare di Carta is a bookshop in the Santa Croce district of Venice, sitting along the Fondamenta dei Tolentini beside a small canal. It also operates as a small publishing house, stocking books, nautical charts, and objects connected to the sea, the lagoon, and the history of the city.
The bookshop was founded by Cristina Giussani, who built the collection around Venice's long relationship with the sea and its lagoon. Over time, the shop expanded beyond retail to publish its own titles focused on Venetian maritime subjects.
Libreria Mare di Carta specializes in books, maps, and recordings tied to the sea and the Venetian lagoon. Among the more unusual items on the shelves are CDs of traditional gondolier songs, a type of music that has largely disappeared from everyday life in the city.
The shop sits in a quieter part of Santa Croce and is easy to reach on foot by following the canal. It is worth checking opening times in advance, as the bookshop closes at midday and may have reduced hours on Saturdays.
Cristina Giussani speaks fluent French, so a large part of the collection is available in French and many French-speaking visitors come here specifically for that reason. This has given the bookshop a loyal following among readers from French-speaking countries that extends well beyond Venice.
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