POLO Urban Bookshop: Venezia's First Museum Bookshop Outside a Museum

In Venice's San Lio district, lineadacqua publishing house has opened POLO Urban Bookshop, a museum-quality bookshop located outside a museum. The shop offers curated books, design objects, and local products, aiming to serve as a cultural interface between the city and visitors. Half the inventory consists of books, the other half of Venetian-made items such as perfumes from Merchant of Venice, Murano glass jewelry by Marina and Susanna Sent, and works by local designers and artists from Feelin' Venice. The architectural design was by F_Z architecture design, with flooring by ITLAS. Founder Luca Zentilini explained the project's goal is to bring the museum bookshop model into the city center, potentially exportable to other cities. Two additional locations are planned for Rialto and San Marco, opening in April 2022. The initiative reflects Venice's post-pandemic recovery, with a shift toward more sustainable, quality tourism.