On 13 January 1906, the monument of public interest was inaugurated, which is the home of the iconic Livraria Lello. Today, 115 years later, “one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world” begins to tell the story written in conjunction with the most awarded Portuguese architect ever, Álvaro Siza Vieira.



The project designed by the winner of the Pritzker Award - the highest distinction in the world of architecture - will come to life at the 148, in Rua das Carmelitas, which will allow the connection to the bookstore itself, facilitating the movement of people from one space to another.


In the words of Lello's official source, Porto will receive “a building with its own soul”, “dedicated to culture” and “versatile, contributing to increase the city's cultural and tourist offer”. The creation of this new space is “to offer a more qualified experience to readers and visitors, to increase the cultural offer, starting from the book, having its own soul and programme”.


On this anniversary day, the bookstore also announced the acquisition of the book collection from the century-year-old Coimbra Editora and Gráfica Coimbra, which closed its doors in 2020, with 100 years of age. Among the publications acquired, first editions of works by Miguel Torga, as well as books by Marcelo Caetano and António de Oliveira Salazar and works by Vergílio Ferreira and Eugénio de Andrade will now be in Lello. "The acquisition of these books is part of a larger project that Livraria Lello has been developing, in order to preserve the bookshop heritage", says the company.


In 2008, Livraria Lello was considered by the newspaper The Guardian to be one of the most beautiful in the world, and in 2011, “a gem of art nouveau” by the publisher of travel guides Lonely Planet.

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    Last updated 2022-12-06