Officially a National Monument, Livraria Lello Porto will close to protect the building

Livraria Lello Porto is the latest Portuguese Monument. The bookshop will close to reinforce investment in the preservation of the building and the expansion designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira.

The President of the Republic has just enacted the government bill reclassifying Livraria Lello Porto as a National Monument, following the Prime Minister's announcement on the day the bookshop celebrated its 120th anniversary. On 13 January, Luís Montenegro announced that the government would enshrine the reclassification of the Livraria Lello Porto building as a National Monument, ‘ensuring the protection and lasting appreciation of this landmark building for the collective memory and cultural identity of the country’.

For the administrator of Livraria Lello Porto, Aurora Pedro Pinto, the designation is not an end, but the continuation of a commitment to the future of culture: ‘This recognition enhances Porto, enhances the country and honours all those who work in this house on a daily basis. Books are the basis of our entire impact on the territory,’ she says.

The administrator emphasises that protecting the building has always been a strategic priority and that this responsibility is becoming even more demanding: "As a National Monument, it is even more evident that this house is the heritage of all Portuguese people. 

It is imperative to continue investing in its preservation. For this reason, Livraria Lello Porto will temporarily close to carry out extensive maintenance work on the historic building and continue the expansion designed by architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. This is a responsibility that we have always assumed and which now becomes even clearer. The intensity of demand requires rigorous management of traffic flows and continuous reinforcement of the building's technical conditions. The temporary closure, for one week between April and May, will allow these improvements to be implemented, while ensuring the protection of the century-old space and the quality of the cultural experience," promises the administrator, who will soon reveal the specific date of the closure for works.

In the good spirit of Porto, welcoming visitors from all over, Aurora Pedro Pinto extends an invitation: ‘Come and celebrate this special time with us by visiting Livraria Lello Porto, now a National Monument.’