My trip to the oldest bookstore in the world: Livraria Bertrand in Portugal

While on my honeymoon in Portugal last month, I visited the oldest bookstore in the world. Nestled in the middle of Lisbon’s gorgeous, old-world Chiado neighborhood, Livraria Bertrand was founded all the way back in 1732.

Although the original building was destroyed during the fires and tsunamis spawned from the devastating 1755 earthquake, the proprietors of Livraria Bertrand eventually returned to the neighborhood after it was rebuilt in 1773.

The bookstore has been in this location ever since, and was officially awarded the title of oldest bookstore in the world by Guinness in 2010.

Book cover design in foreign places

It’s fascinating to visit bookstores abroad. Even though you may not speak the language, you still have a pretty good idea of what genre these books are based solely on their cover designs.

It really speaks to the raw power of cross-cultural communication that exists within visual design. Colors, fonts, and layouts can communicate so much to potential readers before they even have a chance to dive into the back cover.

My book treasures

I studied Portuguese in college and spent a semester abroad in São Paulo, Brazil, so I was very excited to buy some books in Portuguese to keep up my language practice. (They’re hard to find in the states!)

I was delighted to find this small pink book, Oráculo Diário, or ‘Daily Oracle’. It’s basically a magic 8 ball in book form, with over a hundred pages of “responses from your higher self.”

Bertrand had a small section of oracle books just like this one—which I found extremely charming and sweet.

Lisbon’s color palettes

As a designer, I love taking photos of the unique color palettes found throughout the places I visit. I find it very useful to have my own sort of encyclopedia of colors from around the world to use as references in my work.

The bright blue, cloudless sky in Lisbon serves as stunning primary backdrop for a lot of the architectural color palettes found throughout the city. I found many shades of dusty pinks, rusty oranges rich blue-greens, and sunny yellows.

When looking back at the photos, it’s remarkable how the colors play in harmony with the seemingly always sunny blue sky that envelops the city. I have such a deep respect for the cultural artistry in Portugal, as well as their commitment to beauty.

Below are a few of my favorite color palettes I saw around Lisbon.