The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese (Book Review)

We live in a time when we instinctively turn to our digital devices to look up any kind of information. Many digital apps now offer travel maps that even work offline. Yet, travel books still exist — even for a place as well-documented as Venice. The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese has been in my possession since 2014, and I’ve loved every single moment spent reading it. I believe more people should get a copy. This blog post will tell you why.

What makes The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese “so secret”?

In a few words: serene, offbeat, and adventurous.

Venice’s only surviving gondola production here – it’s on one of the book’s itineraries.

Do you see an angel in here? The book told me the angel’s here!

In more words: this book contains eight original itineraries that few tourists know about. Each chapter focuses on a unique theme — love, the Orient, the sea, adventure, and more — and each serves as a complete itinerary with its own detailed map. Personally, I find it much easier to open the book and follow its map than to keep checking my phone for directions.

As soon as you start following the book and walking around, you will be surprised how quiet Venice could be.

The book was written by the illustrator of the Corto Maltese comic series, so you’ll find cartoon images of Corto Maltese on every page. But you don’t need to be a fan of the comics to enjoy it — I had never heard of Corto Maltese before buying the book. The illustrations, including depictions of Venetian artifacts, beautifully complement the text, helping you navigate Venice with both visual and narrative guidance.

This book will take you through Venice’s lesser-known, off-the-beaten paths, all of which have been deeply explored and vividly described by the authors. Every itinerary is the result of their 30+ years of adventure and discovery in Venice! If you’re visiting Venice for the first time, I truly urge you to get a copy of this guidebook and follow its itineraries — I’m sure you won’t regret it.

A window photo gallery introduced by the book also. It knows loads of hidden gems in Venice we would skip otherwise.

Last but not least, I love every tiny recipe section that appears here and there in the book! Have you ever come across a travel guidebook that includes local recipes?

These recipes are selected in line with the itineraries. Locals prepare some of them during the world-famous carnival season or cook them as signature dishes in Venice and the Veneto region.

My favourite is a rose jam recipe that reflects the itinerary’s deep dive into the trade history of Venice. Roses were one of the luxury items introduced to Venice during its golden days.

I only managed to replicate one recipe: squid ink rice. I had to add my own twist to the recipe since I didn’t have squid ink in my kitchen. Still, it was a very fun experience trying to recreate the taste of Venice at home!

Please note that these recipes come with no exact measurements, so they are geared toward experienced (amateur) cooks who decide on the quantities themselves. In my opinion, it’s so much fun figuring out whether you added too much of an ingredient or not.

My cooking enthusiasm aside, the book truly entertains your sense of travel. It’s one of those travel books that can transport you back to the destinations it describes in no time.

I find recipe sections very rare in travel books, but by including them, the authors managed to create a much more dynamic experience. Venice cannot be appreciated at face value, and this book tells its story beautifully.