There is a magic that exists within bookstores, something separate from the books themselves. It’s a magic born of the atmosphere created within the bookstore, the small touches that draw book lovers in and invite them to stay. Sometimes it’s subtle, an atmosphere of dim lighting and hushed quiet punctuated by the turning of pages amidst shelves. Sometimes it’s the rich, uniquely literary, history of a bookstore that draw readers in. Sometimes bookstores are simply and irresistibly exquisite.
Sumptuous beauty is hardly the sort that can be ignored. It demands your attention, holding your gaze, inviting you step further into its bounds. Such is the beauty and atmosphere of Livraria Lello in Portugal.
With its striking facade, there’s no missing Livraria Lello on the crowded streets of Porto, Portugal’s second largest city. It stands apart from the simplicity of its neighbors, marked by decadent neo-Gothic and art nouveau architecture featuring ornate archways and spires as well as beautiful frescoes and tiling. The facade features muted shades of paint that are original to the building and were only revealed after a restoration. The frescoes, painted by José Bielman, depict figures representing Art and Science. Even the least literary-inclined people couldn’t fail to be intrigued by this bookstore’s uniquely opulent design.
Founded in 1906, the history of Livraria Lello goes back even further than the physical bookstore itself to that of a man named Ernesto Chardron who was born in France and, at the age of 18 in 1858, made his way to Porto to work at a bookstore, Livraria Moré. Learning about the book market during his time as a clerk at the bookstore, Chardron went on to make a literary career for himself. In 1869 he invested the money he won playing the lottery into opening his own business—the International Bookstore of Ernesto Chardron. He also became an editor, publishing a large number of books by French and Portuguese authors with a policy described as “courageous” for Portugal at that time. His published collection consisted of over 600 books.
Related: El Ateneo Grand Splendid | Literary Destinations
In 1881, just a few blocks away, another man fulfilled his life’s dream of opening a bookstore—José Pinto De Sousa Lello, a prominent member of the Porto bourgeois, a man of culture, and lover of music and books. José eventually acquired the International Bookstore of Ernesto Chardron from another company that had bought it after Chardron’s death in 1885. By this time, José was in business with his brother Antonio Lello. In buying the International Bookstore of Ernesto Chardron, the brothers also acquired all the rights to the editions published by Chardron. They also expanded the Lello collection when they acquired the collection of another bookseller later in 1898. In honor of the man who was also responsible for the legacy of the bookstore, the facade of Livraria Lello features the phrase “Livraria Chardron” just above the door.
Looking to build a truly unique bookstore, the Lello brothers hired not an architect, but an engineer who was a book lover himself, Francisco Xavier Esteves, to realize their dream. The resulting design was one of stunning beauty, atmosphere, and unique charm. The bookstore opened January 13, 1906 with a public inauguration that included some of the leading figures of the time. At the inauguration, writer and diplomat Abel Botelho said of the event, “Erecting a temple to the cult of ideas is an act of merit that, due to its results, will link the names Lello and Irmão to national recognition.” From 1920-1950, the bookstore, which changed names from Livraria Chardron de Lello & Irmão to Livraria Lello & Irmão in 1935, became one of the largest importers and exporters of literature in Portugal. Classics like Alexandre Dumas, Gustave Faulbert, Victor Hugo, Shakespeare’s collected works and more were translated and published in Portuguese for the first time.
Related: Libreria Acqua Alta | Literary Destinations
Walking inside Livraria Lello must feel like stepping into a different world. A stark contrast to the soft, light-colored beauty of the exterior, the inside of Livraria Lello is defined by dark wood, a stained glass skylight, and ornate wooden panelling. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the walls, dotted with busts of Portuguese writers and bas-reliefs of the bookstore’s founders. The centerpiece is the forked spiral staircase that is nothing short of grand. The underside of the stairs, as well as the ceiling, features ornate plaster designs made to resemble carved wood. The now-iconic red stairs, which lead to the second floor that was opened to visitors in 1995, actually began as a mistake during renovations in the early 90s. They were meant to be brown, as they had always been, but someone accidentally painted them red. Before the mistake could be fixed, the renovation’s master sculptor, José Rodrigues, saw it and immediately loved it. This stunning staircase leads to a second floor that is just as beautiful, crowned with an incredible stained glass skylight that features the store’s motto vecus in labour—dignity in work. With its mix of art nouveau and gothic design with art deco touches, the atmosphere of Livraria Lello is at once completely unique and completely familiar in all the ways that matter to book lovers. It’s rich and inviting, with a hint of the mysterious. It looks like a place where a story will unfold.
For years, rumors circulated (and were widely believed) that Livraria Lello was an inspiration for locations within Harry Potter—Flourish and Blotts, Ollivanders, and even Hogwarts—because J.K. Rowling lived in Porto for two years in the early 90s. In truth, J.K. Rowling never set foot into the store, as she confirmed online. This buzz, however, brought massive amounts of traffic to Livraria Lello and even inspired the shop to dedicate a little room to Harry Potter. Unfortunately, this traffic didn’t convert to sales and the shop was actually taking a loss despite being overpacked with tourists. Over four thousand people would come into the shop a day during peak tourist season, but less than 5% actually made a purchase. To combat this, the bookstore now requires visitors to buy a ticket for entrance. The tickets are relatively cheap, about five euros, and the price will be subtracted from the purchase price of any book you buy.
The cultural impact of Livraria Lello and its history as the International Bookstore of Ernesto Chardron in Portugal is immeasurable. In 2013, the bookstore was classified as a Monument of Public Interest by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage. With the introduction of the ticket-voucher system and the acquisition of 51% holding by the Pedro Pinto family, the bookstore declares 2015 was the beginning of its second life. The longterm restoration came to a conclusion in 2018, with the bookstore revived and restored to its 1906 glory with original paint colors revealed on the facade and the entire floorspace now available to visitors. Also in 2018, the bookstore resumed editorial activities and launched a unique collection of classics, a children’s collection, and now offer special editions including first editions.
Livraria Lello has continued to innovate, launching one of the largest private cultural prizes in Europe, the Livraria Lello-Eduardo Lourenço Prize, in 2019. They’ve also invested in other properties as an investment in the culture of Porto, including acquiring the Sá Da Bandeira Theatre, the oldest theatre in Porto, in 2019. In 2020, to combat the effects of the pandemic on business and to keep people reading, Livraria Lello launched the world’s first ever book drive-thru and distributed over ten thousand books in the month of April alone. That same year, they held a popular international literary competition that attracted thousands of submissions and saw six winners’ work published in a multi-lingual collection.
Livraria Lello—as a bookstore and as a cultural institution—has made an incredible impact on the culture of Porto and all of Portugal. With their ever-evolving efforts to bring more books to more readers, they’ve proven time and time again their commitment to preserving and promoting literature. A bookstore designed by book lovers for book lovers, Livraria Lello is a stunning Literary Destination that is sure to enchant every reader who steps over its threshold.
My dad has visited this bookstore a couple of years ago, he says it’s beautiful but it has an entrance fee.
That’s incredible! I hope to get there someday. They do have an entrance fee, but it’s only 5/6 euros and gets deducted from the cost of any book you buy, which isn’t bad!