Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.14685045294539, -8.614878799908732

Livraria Lello is located at number 144 Rua das Carmelitas, in the Historic Center of the city of Porto, in Portugal. Classified as a Monument of Public Interest, and about to become a National Monument, Livraria Lello preserves the original beauty of its building.

The neo-Gothic façade, the iconic red staircase, the emblematic stained glass window and the shelves full of books from the most diverse eras and in different languages ​​have attracted thousands of visitors.

Being one of the oldest Portuguese bookstores, and due to its unique historical and artistic value, Livraria Lello has been recognized as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world by several personalities and entities, cases such as the Spanish writer Enrique Vila-Matas, from the British newspaper The Guardian, the television station CNN, and the Australian travel guide publisher Lonely Planet. Travel + Leisure magazine also placed Livraria Lello at the top of the list of the “coolest” bookstores in the world.

History

The company dates back to the founding of "Livraria Internacional de Ernesto Chardron", in 1869, at Rua dos Clérigos, no. 96-98, in Porto. A former employee of Livraria Moré, French citizen Ernesto Chardron achieved prominence as an editor, being the first to publish a large part of Camilo Castelo Branco's works and others of importance at the time, such as the Treasury of Portuguese Literature, by Frei Domingos Vieira. After the death of the founder, at the age of 45, the publishing house was sold to the firm "Lugan & Genelioux, Successors" which, shortly afterwards, had Mathieux Lugan as its sole owner. In 1891, Livraria Chardron acquired the funds of three bookselling houses in Porto, belonging to A. R. da Cruz Coutinho, Francisco Gomes da Fonseca and Paulo Podestá.

However, in 1881, José Pinto de Sousa Lello opened an establishment, at numbers 18-20 Rua do Almada, dedicating himself to book commerce and publishing. On June 30, 1894, Mathieux Lugan sold the old Livraria Chardron to José Pinto de Sousa Lello who, associated with his brother António Lello, maintained Chardron under the corporate name of "Sociedade José Pinto Sousa Lello & Irmão". In 1898, the bibliographic fund of Livraria Lemos & C.ª, founded by the brothers Maximiliano and Manuel de Lemos, joined the new society.

Designed by engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves, on January 13, 1906, the new Livraria Lello building was inaugurated, at number 144 Rua das Carmelitas, causing a great impact on the cultural environment of the time. Among the various figures present at the inauguration were Guerra Junqueiro, Abel Botelho, João Grave, Bento Carqueja, Aurélio da Paz dos Reis, José Leite de Vasconcelos and Afonso Costa.

On May 24, 1919, the establishment's corporate name was changed to "Livraria Lello e Irmão, Lda.", with Raul Reis Lello, son of António Lello, joining the company. In 1924, José Pinto da Silva Lello and Edgar Pinto da Silva Lello joined. In 1930, it was the turn of José Pereira da Costa, António Lello's son-in-law, to also join the company, simplifying the name to "Livraria Lello". Five years later, José da Costa left, restoring the name "Lello & Irmão". Raul Reis Lello died in 1949 and António Lello in 1953. At the head of the bookstore, José Pinto da Silva Lello, who died in 1971, and Edgar Pinto da Silva Lello, who died in 1989, followed. From 1995 onwards, the establishment returned simply called "Livraria Lello".

With the aim of adapting to current times, in 1995, the service was updated and computerized, the interior of the bookstore was restored, and an art gallery and gathering space was also created, which established itself as an important cultural hub in the city. from Porto.

From July 23, 2015, entry to the bookstore was subject to an initial payment, deducted from the purchase of a book. The payment of this amount was intended to contain the high number of tourists and also to pay for conservation and restoration works. As a result of applying this rate, in just three months, Lello's sales tripled.

On July 30, 2016, the first phase of the restoration was completed, which included the facade, the roof and the interior stained glass window. The eight meter long by 3.5 meter wide window, made up of 55 glass panels and designed by Dutch architect Gerardus Samuel van Krieken, was dismantled for the first time since its existence. It has been cleaned, restored and corrected for damage, now offering a long-forgotten luminosity.

In 2016, the bookstore was visited by more than one million people, which amounts to an average of almost three thousand visits per day. Of the visitors, 40% were Spanish, 15.9% French, 15.2% Portuguese. Next are Brazilians (6.6%), Germans (4.6%) and North Americans (3.1%).

In November 2022, Livraria Lello acquired a set of 42 letters written by Bob Dylan in the 1950s, for more than 500 thousand euros, at an auction in New York.

Characteristics

Designed according to a project by engineer Xavier Esteves, Livraria Lello is one of the most emblematic Neo-Gothic buildings in Porto, standing out strongly in the surrounding urban landscape. It is a set in which the architecture and decorative elements reveal the dominant style at the beginning of the 20th century.

The facade features a large, collapsed arch, with a central entrance and two side windows. Above, three rectangular windows flanked by two figures painted by the Belgian Joseph Bielmann, representing "Art" and "Science". A lacy platband completes the windows, ending the facade in three pilasters topped by coruches, with arcade openings in a neo-Gothic style. The decoration is complemented by plant motifs, geometric shapes and the designation "Lello e Irmão", under the windows.

Inside, the broken arches rest on the pillars on which, under lacy canopies, the sculptor Romão Júnior sculpted the busts of the writers Antero de Quental, Eça de Queirós, Camilo Castelo Branco, Teófilo Braga, Tomás Ribeiro and Guerra Junqueiro.

The carved ceilings, the large stained glass window in the skylight by the Dutch artist Van Krieken, which bears the monogram and motto of the bookstore "Decus in Labore" (Dignity in work) and the large staircase leading to the first floor are the hallmarks most significant items in the bookstore.

For years, the Lello staircases were also considered locally to be the supposed inspiration of the bookstore where Harry Potter met Gilderoy Lockhart in the book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, since J. K. Rowling lived in the city of Porto. However, in May 2020, J. K. Rowling denied this alleged inspiration, stating that she never entered the bookstore.

Recognition

The unique character of the building has been recognized by several personalities and entities:

• Spanish writer Enrique Vila-Matas described it as "The most beautiful bookstore in the world".

• The English newspaper The Guardian, in 2008, considered her the third most beautiful in the world.

• The Australian travel guide publisher Lonely Planet, in its Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011 guide, considered it the third best bookstore in the world, being described as "a pearl of new art", highlighting the "neo-gothic shelves" and the "red spiral staircase" resembling "an exotic flower."

• Travel + Leisure magazine, in January 2015, placed Lello, in Porto, at the top of the list of the fifteen coolest bookstores in the world, stating that the atrium focuses on the red staircase, "spectacular enough to make you stop".

• «Time» Magazine considered the bookstore one of the fifteen most interesting bookstores in the world, highlighting the historical and artistic value of the Portuguese bookstore.

• CNN, in 2014, considered it the most beautiful bookstore in the world.

• In 2016, the then Minister of Culture, João Soares, said in Porto that Culture can be a driver of development and affirmation in the commercial plan for Portugal and pointed to the historic Livraria Lello as a good example.

• In 2023, the 1000 Libraries platform organized a vote in which Livraria Lello was the winner in the ‘Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World’ category.

Full list of Geochaching below:

https://mirror.xyz/madeinpt.eth/I5tjF3sn6ugnUw3nBnKOpOUr2DEh_g6cTN-0hivKCgc

*Released*✅ *Reviewed*✅ Approved✅

Curator Body
0x002a8F63E3B2D894218485AA401C702A5F7B588e 0x9A6F0Df3BE30246b199AC4b5106e2ac2FCD070f2 0x45Be6C4d3Acf93BF3dA3Bafb97E944E21A4e9f84 0x61A971a82c67bC52309AcC25ceEF811FAFd9091C 0x1336fD9C06456Bd9d00Bc5C36319F3c06c84C759

Versão portuguesa aqui.

GPS 41.14685045294539, -8.614878799908732

Livraria Lello is located at number 144 Rua das Carmelitas, in the Historic Center of the city of Porto, in Portugal. Classified as a Monument of Public Interest, and about to become a National Monument, Livraria Lello preserves the original beauty of its building.

The neo-Gothic façade, the iconic red staircase, the emblematic stained glass window and the shelves full of books from the most diverse eras and in different languages ​​have attracted thousands of visitors.

Being one of the oldest Portuguese bookstores, and due to its unique historical and artistic value, Livraria Lello has been recognized as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world by several personalities and entities, cases such as the Spanish writer Enrique Vila-Matas, from the British newspaper The Guardian, the television station CNN, and the Australian travel guide publisher Lonely Planet. Travel + Leisure magazine also placed Livraria Lello at the top of the list of the “coolest” bookstores in the world.

History

The company dates back to the founding of "Livraria Internacional de Ernesto Chardron", in 1869, at Rua dos Clérigos, no. 96-98, in Porto. A former employee of Livraria Moré, French citizen Ernesto Chardron achieved prominence as an editor, being the first to publish a large part of Camilo Castelo Branco's works and others of importance at the time, such as the Treasury of Portuguese Literature, by Frei Domingos Vieira. After the death of the founder, at the age of 45, the publishing house was sold to the firm "Lugan & Genelioux, Successors" which, shortly afterwards, had Mathieux Lugan as its sole owner. In 1891, Livraria Chardron acquired the funds of three bookselling houses in Porto, belonging to A. R. da Cruz Coutinho, Francisco Gomes da Fonseca and Paulo Podestá.

However, in 1881, José Pinto de Sousa Lello opened an establishment, at numbers 18-20 Rua do Almada, dedicating himself to book commerce and publishing. On June 30, 1894, Mathieux Lugan sold the old Livraria Chardron to José Pinto de Sousa Lello who, associated with his brother António Lello, maintained Chardron under the corporate name of "Sociedade José Pinto Sousa Lello & Irmão". In 1898, the bibliographic fund of Livraria Lemos & C.ª, founded by the brothers Maximiliano and Manuel de Lemos, joined the new society.

Designed by engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves, on January 13, 1906, the new Livraria Lello building was inaugurated, at number 144 Rua das Carmelitas, causing a great impact on the cultural environment of the time. Among the various figures present at the inauguration were Guerra Junqueiro, Abel Botelho, João Grave, Bento Carqueja, Aurélio da Paz dos Reis, José Leite de Vasconcelos and Afonso Costa.

On May 24, 1919, the establishment's corporate name was changed to "Livraria Lello e Irmão, Lda.", with Raul Reis Lello, son of António Lello, joining the company. In 1924, José Pinto da Silva Lello and Edgar Pinto da Silva Lello joined. In 1930, it was the turn of José Pereira da Costa, António Lello's son-in-law, to also join the company, simplifying the name to "Livraria Lello". Five years later, José da Costa left, restoring the name "Lello & Irmão". Raul Reis Lello died in 1949 and António Lello in 1953. At the head of the bookstore, José Pinto da Silva Lello, who died in 1971, and Edgar Pinto da Silva Lello, who died in 1989, followed. From 1995 onwards, the establishment returned simply called "Livraria Lello".

With the aim of adapting to current times, in 1995, the service was updated and computerized, the interior of the bookstore was restored, and an art gallery and gathering space was also created, which established itself as an important cultural hub in the city. from Porto.

From July 23, 2015, entry to the bookstore was subject to an initial payment, deducted from the purchase of a book. The payment of this amount was intended to contain the high number of tourists and also to pay for conservation and restoration works. As a result of applying this rate, in just three months, Lello's sales tripled.

On July 30, 2016, the first phase of the restoration was completed, which included the facade, the roof and the interior stained glass window. The eight meter long by 3.5 meter wide window, made up of 55 glass panels and designed by Dutch architect Gerardus Samuel van Krieken, was dismantled for the first time since its existence. It has been cleaned, restored and corrected for damage, now offering a long-forgotten luminosity.

In 2016, the bookstore was visited by more than one million people, which amounts to an average of almost three thousand visits per day. Of the visitors, 40% were Spanish, 15.9% French, 15.2% Portuguese. Next are Brazilians (6.6%), Germans (4.6%) and North Americans (3.1%).

In November 2022, Livraria Lello acquired a set of 42 letters written by Bob Dylan in the 1950s, for more than 500 thousand euros, at an auction in New York.

Characteristics

Designed according to a project by engineer Xavier Esteves, Livraria Lello is one of the most emblematic Neo-Gothic buildings in Porto, standing out strongly in the surrounding urban landscape. It is a set in which the architecture and decorative elements reveal the dominant style at the beginning of the 20th century.

The facade features a large, collapsed arch, with a central entrance and two side windows. Above, three rectangular windows flanked by two figures painted by the Belgian Joseph Bielmann, representing "Art" and "Science". A lacy platband completes the windows, ending the facade in three pilasters topped by coruches, with arcade openings in a neo-Gothic style. The decoration is complemented by plant motifs, geometric shapes and the designation "Lello e Irmão", under the windows.

Inside, the broken arches rest on the pillars on which, under lacy canopies, the sculptor Romão Júnior sculpted the busts of the writers Antero de Quental, Eça de Queirós, Camilo Castelo Branco, Teófilo Braga, Tomás Ribeiro and Guerra Junqueiro.

The carved ceilings, the large stained glass window in the skylight by the Dutch artist Van Krieken, which bears the monogram and motto of the bookstore "Decus in Labore" (Dignity in work) and the large staircase leading to the first floor are the hallmarks most significant items in the bookstore.

For years, the Lello staircases were also considered locally to be the supposed inspiration of the bookstore where Harry Potter met Gilderoy Lockhart in the book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, since J. K. Rowling lived in the city of Porto. However, in May 2020, J. K. Rowling denied this alleged inspiration, stating that she never entered the bookstore.

Recognition

The unique character of the building has been recognized by several personalities and entities:

• Spanish writer Enrique Vila-Matas described it as "The most beautiful bookstore in the world".

• The English newspaper The Guardian, in 2008, considered her the third most beautiful in the world.

• The Australian travel guide publisher Lonely Planet, in its Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011 guide, considered it the third best bookstore in the world, being described as "a pearl of new art", highlighting the "neo-gothic shelves" and the "red spiral staircase" resembling "an exotic flower."

• Travel + Leisure magazine, in January 2015, placed Lello, in Porto, at the top of the list of the fifteen coolest bookstores in the world, stating that the atrium focuses on the red staircase, "spectacular enough to make you stop".

• «Time» Magazine considered the bookstore one of the fifteen most interesting bookstores in the world, highlighting the historical and artistic value of the Portuguese bookstore.

• CNN, in 2014, considered it the most beautiful bookstore in the world.

• In 2016, the then Minister of Culture, João Soares, said in Porto that Culture can be a driver of development and affirmation in the commercial plan for Portugal and pointed to the historic Livraria Lello as a good example.

• In 2023, the 1000 Libraries platform organized a vote in which Livraria Lello was the winner in the ‘Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World’ category.

Full list of Geochaching below:

https://mirror.xyz/madeinpt.eth/I5tjF3sn6ugnUw3nBnKOpOUr2DEh_g6cTN-0hivKCgc

*Released*✅ *Reviewed*✅ Approved✅

Curator Body
0x002a8F63E3B2D894218485AA401C702A5F7B588e 0x9A6F0Df3BE30246b199AC4b5106e2ac2FCD070f2 0x45Be6C4d3Acf93BF3dA3Bafb97E944E21A4e9f84 0x61A971a82c67bC52309AcC25ceEF811FAFd9091C 0x1336fD9C06456Bd9d00Bc5C36319F3c06c84C759