Livraria Lello is a bookshop on Rua das Carmelitas in Porto, opened on 13 January 1906 by the brothers José and António Lello. The engineer Francisco Xavier Esteves, who later became the first mayor of Porto under the Republic, designed the building, known for its neo-Gothic façade and red central staircase.
The bookshop is in a building of public interest and admits visitors with a paid ticket.
What to see at Livraria Lello
- Façade: a neo-Gothic front on Rua das Carmelitas. The restoration of 2017 and 2018 removed 12 layers of paint and brought back the original colours.
- Central staircase: a curved red staircase that joins the two floors of the shop.
- Skylight: a stained-glass window in the ceiling, above the staircase.
- Woodwork: carved wooden shelves and ceilings throughout the shop.
History of Livraria Lello
- 1869: Ernesto Chardron founds the Livraria Internacional on Rua dos Clérigos.
- 1894: the brothers José Pinto de Sousa Lello and António Lello acquire the Chardron bookshop.
- 1898: the brothers buy the firm Livraria Lemos & Co.
- 13 January 1906: the new building on Rua das Carmelitas opens.
- 2017 to 2018: a restoration covers the whole building, from the floor to the roof.
- 21 May 2020: the writer J.K. Rowling states that she never visited the bookshop and that it has no connection with Hogwarts, the school in her Harry Potter books.
Visiting Livraria Lello
- Tickets: entry requires a ticket, and the bookshop website publishes current times and prices.
- Location: the shop is on Rua das Carmelitas, a short walk from the Clérigos Church and Tower.
Places to visit in Porto
Porto, Portugal
Historisch centrum van Porto, Luiz I-brug en Serra do Pilar
Beurspaleis
Boekhandel Lello
Foz do Douro
Kerk en Toren van de Clerigos
Kerk van Sint-Franciscus
Station São Bento
Kathedraal van Porto
Serralves
Casa da Música
Mercado do Bolhão
Geschiedenis van Porto
Porto bezoeken