Government elevates Lello Bookstore to National Monument status

The Government has already put forward the bill that will set in law the Lello Bookstore’s National Monument status. 

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro during the celebrate to commemorate the bookstore’s 120th anniversary.

The decision was announced on a day of great cultural significance that coincided with the 25 years since Porto’s official opening as European Capital of Culture. 

According to the Prime Minister, the formal act of classifying the bookstore should be completed in the coming weeks, ensuring the lasting protection and valuation of this building that is a reference in the country’s collective memory and cultural identity.

The process to reclassify the building located in the centre of Porto was initiated in 2021with the aim of acknowledging its exceptional value as cultural, architectural, and historical heritage of national relevance.

During the ceremony, Luís Montenegro stressed that culture is the basis for a society’s development, advocating that cultural progress must stem from mobilising the existing capacities in the public, private, and social sectors with a direct impact on the community and citizens.

The future status of Lello Bookstore as National Monument reinforces the policy of valuing cultural heritage and states culture as a pillar of national identity and a structural factor in economic and social development.