Venetian recommendations?

I am visiting Venice soon and am wondering if any knowledgeable members here have recommendations. Specifically:

1. Your favorite antiquarian or fine press booksellers in the city.
2. Particularly worthwhile tourist attractions related to printing history. I have some knowledge about Aldus Manutius and other renaissance printing, but to be honest the topic is so expansive given the central role of Venice in the history of printing that any narrowing suggestions or curation would be useful.
3. Your favorite literature in which Venice features.

Piazzesi Legatoria is the oldest continuously operating paper shop in Italy. It's inconsistently open and a bit run-down, but if you manage to catch the owner (a fabulous woman whose name escapes me) she's usually happy to tell you all about the history of the shop and its wares. It is one of the few paper shops in Venice selling genuine 19th and early 20th century Venitian papers. You'll see several "Il Papiro" in Venice, and in most major Italian cities, and they do genuine marbled contemporary papers, but Piazzesi Legatoria will have century (or centuries) old marbled, block printed, and paste papers. The shop is basically a museum. Worth stopping by and supporting.

Legatoria Polliero is a wonderful bookbindery, passed from father to son for several generations. Good if you need a journal, or if you just want to see a small 100+ year old bindery in person. The owner is a lovely gent and in my experience he loves to talk.

As a general tourist recommendation: Adagio is the best bar in Venice (and in the same piazza as Polliero) and La Zuca is my favorite osteria. If you want to get some Spaghetti al nero (probably the most famous Venitian dish) I recommend Enoteca al Volto. And if you want good Murano glass (there's a TON of junk to sift through) I recommend Cesare Toffolo – he's the best. Most of the glasses in my home were made by him.

And as a even more general tourist recommendation: A mall. The Fondaco dei Tedeschi is the "luxury brands" mall in Venice (yawn) but they offer fifteen minute visits to their roof which has terrific views. (Most importantly, terrific views from the top of a boring mall, so you aren't missing any of the landmarks.) HIGHLY recommended at sunset.

>2 grifgon: Ohh, thanks for that! Going there on Friday.

>2 grifgon: Ooh thanks for this Grifgon! I am going there in early June

>1 abysswalker:

Check out Damocle Edizioni: https://www.librarything.com/venue/108817/Damocle-Edizioni

What >2 grifgon: says about Piazzesi Legatoria being "inconsistently open" is rather an understatement! I can't count the number of times I went by there the last time I was in Venice, only to find the "Chiuso" sign. But it's worth being persistent.

There is now a restaurant where the Aldine Press was housed: https://osteria-pizzeria-due-colonne.business.site

As for literature, there are, of course, Henry James' Wings of the Dove and Thomas Mann's Death in Venice. If you enjoy mysteries, check out Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti series.

Random tourist stuff:

Caffè La Serra, in an 1894 greenhouse in the Viale Garibaldi, is a nice place to sit outside with a spritz on a sunny day. (If you are going to the Biennale, it's right near the Giardini.)

I like going to Isola San Giorgio Maggiore. There's a great view from the church's campanile, and the gallery Stanze del Vetro exhibits contemporary glass (note: they are closed on Wednesdays).

The Ghetto: tours of the synagogues begin at the Museo Ebraico, which is well worth seeing even if you don't do the tour, and there's a bookshop, Alef, specializing in Judaica.

Not sure of timing for your trip but today's WSJ has an article on "the World's most prestigious art exhibition," the Venice Biennale, which starts on April 23rd. Goes on to describe the exhibition as the "Olympics of the art world." Not sure if you need a seven-figure line of credit to get in the door but could be interesting to check out if open to the public.

With regards to fine press books, the Old School Press has two great books about Venice: Bricks of Venice and Into the Lagoon. John Craig's Venice from the Whittington Press is also nice. A Venetian Story (Lord Byron) from the Allen Press has 35 full-page illustrations from selected 18th century copperplates.

>1 abysswalker:

Henry James's The Aspern Papers is a perfect novella; the Folio Press fine edition is very nicely made - printed at the Stamperia Valdonega - and illustrated by Edward Piper.

The best tourist advice I've had about Venice was to remember that the greatest sight in Venice is Venice itself; and a couple of hours wandering aimlessly just after first light, before any of the tourist crowds are about, is one of the best ways to see it.

>6 LBShoreBook:

Not sure if you need a seven-figure line of credit to get in the door

Believe me, you do not. Entry is €25,50, €20,50 if you are over 65. That gets you into the exhibits at both the Giardini and the Arsenale, and there are other exhibits scattered around the city which are (mostly) free.

I've been to the Biennale (both the Art Biennale and the Architecture Biennale), and if you into art, it's a must. Wear comfortable shoes, though!

>6 LBShoreBook: Yeah, that's what we are going to...and...it's Venice!

>8 affle:

Affle's advice is spot on. Much more so than visiting St. Mark's Basilica, Piazza San Marco, the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, etc., the joy of Venice and what you will remember most is simply walking around aimlessly, exploring little streets that lead nowhere and dead end, repeatedly getting lost and disoriented, in the uncrowded early morning or late dusk. Venice itself is the most wonderful and enduring attraction.

Along these lines, I especially recommend the Whittington Press edition of 'Venice' with John Craig's fabulous wood engravings. His wood engravings focus precisely on these small streets and canals well off of the beaten path, reflecting his long tenure as a resident of Venice.

>1 abysswalker: In ref to part 3 of your list: Ruskin's The Stones of Venice, 3 vols. It's been in print since it was first published in 1851-1853. Usually heavily illustrated.

An excerpt from this work, The Nature of Gothic, was published by the Kelmscott Press in 1892.

I don't have Venice advice but having planned a trip that went Milan-Florence I can give you the tip that they're just 2-3 hours away from Venice by train (depending on the train), making a daytrip very possible and either city is well worth it as a leg of a longer stay.

>1 abysswalker: There's the Italian Type Museum in Cornuda, about 60km inland from Venice (2 hours by public transport.) If you have the right connections, it looks as if you can borrow a press from them!

If you are traveling at all, down the Adriatic coast near Ancona (a lovely train ride) is the town of Fabriano, which is home to Fabriano paper, which has been around since the 13th century. Interesting museum and history. One of their flagship stores is in Venice at Calle del lovo. San Marco 4816

>15 dpbbooks: Thanks for that. You beat me to it!

>6 LBShoreBook: we will actually be there then! Thanks for the tip.

(And thanks to everyone else for all the wonderful recommendations.)

Walked by Piazzesi Legatoria a few times, and the third or fourth time I got lucky. I showed her a photo of my LEC Livy as an example of what I was looking for, and it turns out that pattern is actually one of her papers. So I bought a sheet of that in a different color and another pattern just to have on hand.