10 Bookshops of Bologna you should visit

The quantity and quality of bookshops can tell a lot about a city and the people who live in it.
Vintage libraries like Nanni or new formats that combine books and food, like Modo Infoshop.

Here's my selection of the most unique bookshops in Bologna. 

A few steps away from Piazza Maggiore and Quadrilatero food market, one of the most evocative portici of Bologna hosts Libreria Nanni.

Opened in 1820, this bookshop was loved by Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini, and it is considered a landmark of Bologna's culture.

The wood panels under the portico remind you of Paris's bouquinistes, and you can take a look to find cheap art magazines and novels. Inside, you find books on architecture, literature, design, art, cinema, and so many others.

Via de' Musei, 8, 40100 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 221841
www.libreriananni.it

Right in Piazza Maggiore, set in the austere bricks of Palazzo Re Enzo, you find this bookshop with an evocative name and a multifaceted spirit.

Giannino Stoppani is the unfortunate protagonist of the famous children's novel Gian Burrasca's Diary, published in 1907.

It's a bookshop specialising in kids' books from Italian and foreign publishers.
Sometimes, on the walls, you can find art or comics exhibitions.

Via Rizzoli 1, 40124 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 227337
www.gianninostoppanilibreria.net

Opened in 1996, Alta Marea is a bookstore managed by dozens of women united in an association.
On the shelves, you find books only written by women.
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Most of the books are about politics and philosophy, in small quantities and from independent publishers.
They organize events and book presentations, making it the ideal place to meet and chat with friends.

Via S. Felice, 16, 40122 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 271754
www.libreriadelledonne.it

In Via Mascarella, a street of jazz clubs and good restaurants, you find Modo Infoshop.

It's a space where you can leaf through comics and rare books, admire CDs and vinyl records, and then drink a beer in the next room, the bar managed by the owners.

The opening hours allow you to spend a special evening among students and artists, in the spirit of art and alternative culture.

Via Mascarella 24/b
Tel. +39 051 5871012
www.modoinfoshop.com

Amongst the Indian takeaways and pizzerias of Via Petroni, in the heart of Bologna University, you find Inuit Bookshop.

​This small library, founded in 2011, houses unique editorial products hard to find elsewhere. But Inuit is not a bookshop like any other.

It was born as a cultural association for the distribution of illustrations, comics, books, prints, and fanzines, all from independent productions.
You will also find exhibitions, events, and workshops dedicated to the fascinating world of printing.

Fan of illustration?
Don't miss Bologna Childrens' Book Fai,r which takes place every spring.

Via Petroni 19 C / Bologna
www.inuitbookshop.com

Ulisse was born in 1993 as a travel bookshop.

Only later did it develop into a complete library of all sectors. Above all, it was born in the suburbs to bring books where they weren't there, to people.

What surprises me the most about Ulisse is that you can always find it open. Christmas, NYE, hot summer days.

This shelter of culture is always there for you.

Via degli Orti, 8, 40137 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 623 5042

Hospitality is the best word to describe this bookshop.
Not only for the pleasant and tidy environment, but also because you can relax in the reading room.

But above all, because of Nicoletta, the bookseller, who knows how to make everyone comfortable with her book advice, cooking tip,s and political discussion.

Visiting Trame doesn't mean just buying a book; it's an opportunity to get to know and exchange opinions with an interesting person.

Via Goito, 3/C, 40126 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 233333
www.libreriatrame.com

Giorgio and Antonio are from Foggia, Puglia, but like many university students, they decided to live in Bologna after graduation.

The name of their cosy bookshop in Via Cartoleria is inspired by 'The Brotherhood of the Grape', a novel by John Fante in which wine and literature are combined.

There you can find reading and lectures by foreign and Italian artists, as well as acoustic concerts surrounded by books.

At La confraternita dell'uva you can also have an aperitivo with delicacies made in Puglia: from taralli to cheese, preserves, olives and beers.

Via Cartoleria, 20b, 40124 Bologna
Tel. +39 371 109 1099

A nursery to create your home garden?
A place to get a drink while watching photos and art exhibitions?
A gay-friendly bookshop with LGBT books and DVDs?
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Igor, which takes the name from the owners' dog, welcomes you in a space that is all those things.

Founded by Raffaele and Gianluca in 2007, Igor is now hosted at Senape, a nursery in the Bologna city centre, which is also a reference for the LGBT community.

Via Santa Croce 10, 40122 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 849 4530
www.senapevivaiourbano.com

It started as a small shop in Via Frassinago between a kayak and a condom shop (true story).

35 years later chess bookshop, shop and editor Le Due Torri have a larger space outside the city centre.

It's the only Italian bookshop about chess (4 in Europe).
There, you'll find everything you can think of, from chessboards to books in Italian and other languages.

Via Piero Gobetti, 52/3, 40129 Bologna
Tel. +39 051 522433

scacco.it

[Credits: this post is inspired by the book 'Guida alle Librerie Indipendenti di Bologna']