PROPOSALS & LAST ACQUISITIONS

History of the bookshop

In the meantime, around the 40’s, Gino, who had much less passion for books than his father, sold the business to his son-in-law, Renato Chellini, who perpetuated it as a family-run business. In 1950, Pietro, Renato’s son, joined his father to co-manage with him. In 1959, the bookshop was finally relocated Via Ricasoli 49-103R, where it is still today, run by the heirs of the family. The current owners, Francesco and Edoardo Chellini, father and son, are now the fifth and sixth generations.

Located in the 18^th Century Palazzo Alfani, the bookshop has small shop-windows, behind which are hidden more than 20 rooms full of antique furniture and floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves, covered with thousands of books of multicolored bindings. A large interior garden sits in the middle. Going from one room to the other is like time-travelling.

From the very beginning, a special attention was dedicated to Law and Economics books, a tradition that still remains alive today. Over the years, many famous jurists came to the bookshop. Moreover, many distinguished figures of the 1900s, such as Benedetto Croce, Luigi Einaudi, Giovanni Papini, Vanni Scheiwiller, Giovanni Spadolini, Angelo Sraffa, Denis Mac Smith, wandered among our rooms and shelves.

Entering the age of modernity, the archives began to be digitalized in 1998, and this led to the creation of a “virtual bookshop” with more than 80,000 titles available. Today, either in the old paper files or in the digital database, editions of any kind, period or price are now accessible to all, making the Gozzini Booshop “The kingdom for those looking for the most ancient words”.

The Libreria Antiquaria Gozzini

The Antiquarian Bookshop is free entrance. It consists of 23 rooms, some of which have vaulted celings, arranged on three floors, surrounding a large garden. It hosts more than 150.000 volumes of value (over 2 km of books), ranging from XVth century works, up to XIXth century and contemporary literature.

Going through the rooms is like traveling through time. The bookshelves are crammed with thousands of tomes, each with its multicoloured title printed on the spines.

The great works, whether they be poems, romances, or artistic books of the Italian as well as of foreign literature, can be found next to treaties of Geography, Chemistry, manuals, essays, Architecture, Music, Science, Poetry, or whatelse can attract the attention of researchers, enquiring bibliophiles, or just book-lovers.

A specific sector is dedicated to Law, provided with an extensive catalogue.

A nice article dedicated to the bookstore appeared on the blog of Adelino Di Marino:

Libreria Gozzini di Firenze

A journey through art, history and science

Appreciating an ancient book is not the only emotion one can experience. As a matter of fact many editions of the same title are often available that one can relish, relating to the styles of the editors, the translators, or the writers.

Different styles, make-ups, bindings, colours, illustrations, printing methods… the pathway comes across not only the history of literature, but it mingles with the very history of printing.

If, while browsing through a book, it is possible to notice specific methods of make-up, presentation, and illustration of the story, then one can live many pathways of the same narration. The paper, the glue, the fabric, the twisted thread of the binding, the ink itself can be touched and perceived as a sole all-engaging emotional message together with the written story.

Proposals