Cities and cultures are often self-portraits of the art that it produces and values, even (especially) if it not formally recognized. And in Venice, less than a 10-minutes stroll (or swim) from St. Mark’s Square and you may come across an unusual Venetian bookstore that is as much an artwork – a statement – of Italian values and lifestyle as any other in the city.

In a city like Venice – one seized by waterways – a bookstore has little, if any business existing at all, let alone right next to a canal, but The Libreria Acqua Alta, or “Library of High Water” is stubborn. And so, in spite of the flooding and increasingly erratic behavior of the canals that flow beside, and frequently into, the bookstore – it stands, often in inches of water.

But this bookstore is adaptable, and in order to compensate for existing in Venice, books inside the store are stacked high, some in water-proof bins and bathtubs, and others in a novel collection of gondolas and canoes that almost appear as if awaiting a high tide. Upon closer inspection, the store’s rustic layout resonates with history, whether it be the fire escape that amusingly leads straight to canals, the staircase fashioned from old encyclopedias, or the litter of stray cats that call the store home.

So, with its peculiar existence, The Libreria Acqua Alta has become something of an unofficial landmark, a creative representation of Venetian lifestyle. It serves as both a unique response to residing in Venice, and a reminder of the steadfast attitudes that persists throughout Italian culture.