Porto’s Incredibly Beautiful Bookstore

Opened in 1906, the Livraria Lello of Porto is often called the world’s most beautiful bookstore. Located in a Neo-Gothic building — and especially known for its iconic red spiral staircase — the shop is a feast for both the eyes and the intellect.

Already movers and shakers in the Porto book business, the Lello brothers opened their landmark library at No. 144 Rua das Carmelitas on the 13th of January. While the comprehensive, extensive and eclectic book selection was impressive all on its own, it was the bookstores exterior and interior design that earned the most attention.

Designed by Francisco Xavier Esteves, the overall look is considered Neo-Manueline, a Portuguese revival style popular from the mid-1800s to the early 20^th century. But coming so late in the architectural era, Esteves also utilized elements of Neo Gothic, Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

More like an oversized jewel box than a commercial structure, the two-story façade is exquisite, dominated by elegant arches, floral patterns and larger-than-life images of “Art” and “Science.”

Inside, a red-carpeted staircase leads to a second-floor gallery flanked by wooden bookshelves and banisters, and intricate plasterwork reminiscent of a Gothic cathedral. The crowning glory is an immense stained-glass ceiling with a Decus in Labore (“Honor in Work”) motif.

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