Livraria Bertrand
A Portuguese bookstore chain whose Chiado shop is recognized as the world's oldest continuously operating bookstore.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Livraria Bertrand is a Portuguese bookselling brand and bookstore chain with roots in Lisbon dating to 1732. Its historic Chiado branch on Rua Garrett is widely associated with the distinction of being the world's oldest continuously operating bookstore, a recognition attributed to Guinness World Records in 2011 and reported in connection with the store's 2010 record award. The business began with Pedro Faure, a bookseller active in Lisbon, and was subsequently developed with the Bertrand family, whose members gave the enterprise its enduring name. The company emerged within a strong eighteenth-century connection between Portuguese and French bookselling. Pierre Bertrand joined Faure's operation in the 1740s, followed by his brother Jean Joseph Bertrand. After Faure's death in 1753, the business became known as the Bertrand Brothers' bookstore. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake destroyed or severely disrupted the original premises, but Jean Joseph Bertrand re-established the business. In 1773 the shop returned to the rebuilt Baixa area, taking premises on Rua Garrett, where the Chiado bookstore remains a central part of the brand's identity. During the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Bertrand remained a family enterprise while expanding beyond retail into publishing and printing. Its catalogues offered Portuguese and foreign works, and the firm could obtain titles from elsewhere in Portugal and abroad. Members of the Bertrand family were associated with important Portuguese literary figures, including Alexandre Herculano, whose works they helped publish. The bookstore also became part of Lisbon's literary culture, attracting writers such as Fernando Pessoa, Eça de Queirós, Antero de Quental, and Ramalho Ortigão. The twentieth century brought successive changes in ownership, corporate structure, and business scale. Bertrand developed printing capabilities, expanded its retail presence beyond Lisbon, and became a significant distributor of foreign books and periodicals. A Porto presence was established in the late 1930s, and the company later opened additional Lisbon branches, including one on Avenida de Roma in 1963. Under the management associated with Georges Lucas after Didier Marcel's acquisition of a controlling interest in 1942, the business reached a major period of expansion, with a nationwide network and a substantial publishing and distribution operation. Ownership changed again in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Manuel Bullosa acquired the position associated with the Bertrand business after Marcel's death, and the company was later sold to a financial group represented by José Sotomayor Matoso. In 2006, Círculo de Leitores, a Bertelsmann company, acquired the Bertrand Group. The businesses were integrated into DirectGroup Portugal in 2007. Porto Editora acquired the Portuguese DirectGroup businesses in 2010, including Livraria Bertrand, Bertrand Editora, Bertrand Distribuidora, and Círculo de Leitores. This transaction led to the formation of the BertrandCírculo group within the Porto Editora sphere. Today, Livraria Bertrand operates as a Portuguese retail network combining physical bookstores with online sales. Its assortment centers on books in Portuguese and other languages, alongside related reading, educational, cultural, and gift products. The Chiado branch remains the symbolic flagship: it connects the contemporary chain to nearly three centuries of bookselling and to Lisbon's literary heritage. Public descriptions of the network have cited approximately 59 branches nationwide, including locations in Madeira, although the precise store count can change over time.
History
Livraria Bertrand traces its origins to 1732, when Pedro Faure opened a bookselling business in Lisbon. Faure had already been active in the city's printing and bookselling trade, and his shop was located near the area now associated with Bertrand's Chiado branch. In the 1740s, Pierre Bertrand joined the operation, and his brother Jean Joseph later became involved. The enterprise adopted names reflecting the partnership, eventually becoming known as the Bertrand Brothers' bookstore after Faure's death in 1753. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake was a major early turning point. The premises were destroyed or rendered unusable, forcing the business to relocate temporarily to the area of Nossa Senhora das Necessidades. In 1773, after Lisbon's Baixa district had been rebuilt, the bookstore returned to the central city and established itself on Rua Garrett. That location became the foundation of the modern Chiado branch and the brand's strongest historical symbol. Following the deaths of successive male members of the family, Bertrand was managed at different points by widows and later descendants. The business remained active in retail while also developing publishing, printing, and distribution activities. Its late-eighteenth-century catalogues demonstrate an ability to supply a broad range of Portuguese and foreign titles. During the nineteenth century, Bertrand was closely connected to Portuguese literary life. Members of the family published much of Alexandre Herculano's work, and the shop was frequented by several prominent writers, including Fernando Pessoa, Eça de Queirós, Antero de Quental, and Ramalho Ortigão. The company modernized and expanded during the twentieth century. It developed printing and composition facilities, later associated with the name Tipografia da Antiga Casa Bertrand, and broadened its business beyond a single Lisbon shop. A partnership involving the International Library of Porto helped initiate the network's development, and Bertrand opened a Porto bookstore in the late 1930s. Its own printing press and publishing operations supported a larger role in the Portuguese book trade. In 1942, French bookseller Didier Marcel acquired a majority interest. Under Marcel's ownership and the long administration of Georges Lucas, Bertrand experienced substantial growth. It became a prominent distributor of foreign books and journals, expanded its bookstore network throughout Portugal, and strengthened its publishing activity. A second Lisbon shop opened on Avenida de Roma in 1963. The business continued under Portuguese financial ownership after Marcel's death, while retaining its established management and commercial direction. The late twentieth century brought further ownership changes. In 1993, Manuel Bullosa sold Bertrand to a financial company represented by José Sotomayor Matoso. In 2006, Círculo de Leitores acquired the Bertrand Group, and the businesses were subsequently integrated into DirectGroup Portugal. In 2010, Grupo Porto Editora purchased the Portuguese DirectGroup operations. The transaction brought the bookstores, publishing, distribution, and book-club businesses into the BertrandCírculo group. Bertrand's historic status was formally promoted through recognition of the Chiado branch as the world's oldest bookstore in continuous operation. The distinction reinforced a brand identity built on longevity, literary association, and continuity through major changes in ownership and retail technology. The contemporary business combines physical stores across Portugal with an online bookstore, while the Chiado location continues to function as both a retail outlet and a cultural heritage site.
- 2011
Chiado store gains global oldest-bookstore distinction
[1]The historic branch is publicly associated with Guinness World Records recognition as the oldest continuously operating bookstore.
- 2010
Porto Editora takes ownership
[1]Grupo Porto Editora acquires the Portuguese DirectGroup businesses and forms the BertrandCírculo group.
- 2006
Círculo de Leitores acquires Bertrand
[1]The Bertrand Group becomes part of the Círculo de Leitores and Bertelsmann-associated business structure.
- 1963
Second Lisbon bookstore opens
[1]Bertrand opens a branch on Avenida de Roma, extending its Lisbon presence beyond Chiado.
- 1942
Didier Marcel acquires a majority interest
[1]The French bookseller's investment precedes a major period of nationwide retail, distribution, and publishing growth.
- 1938
Porto network development begins
[1]An agreement involving Porto's International Library marks an important step in the expansion of the bookstore network.
- 1909
Printing and composition workshops expand
[1]Bertrand develops dedicated printing and composition facilities in Lisbon.
- 1773
Bertrand returns to Lisbon's rebuilt Baixa
[1]The bookstore re-establishes itself on Rua Garrett, the site associated with the present Chiado branch.
- 1755
Lisbon earthquake disrupts the bookstore
[1]The earthquake devastates the original premises and prompts a temporary relocation.
- 1753
The business becomes Bertrand Brothers
[1]After Pedro Faure's death, the company adopts a name centered on the Bertrand family.
Products and positioning
A heritage Portuguese bookseller combining the cultural prestige of its historic Chiado bookstore with the reach and convenience of a nationwide retail and online network.
Bookselling · 1732
Printed books
The core assortment consists of Portuguese-language titles across fiction, literature, history, politics, philosophy, social sciences, practical subjects, and general nonfiction. Stores also carry imported and foreign-language books, reflecting Bertrand's historic role in distributing international publications in Portugal.
Bookselling
Children's and young-adult books
Bertrand's retail assortment includes children's picture books, early readers, educational titles, novels for younger readers, and young-adult fiction. These categories support both family purchasing and school-related demand across the chain and online store.
Digital publishing retail
E-books and digital reading
The modern Bertrand business extends beyond physical stores through online retail and digital reading products. Its digital offer complements the traditional bookstore model and allows customers to access selected titles without visiting a branch.
Adjacent retail
Stationery and reading-related products
Alongside books, Bertrand bookstores offer selected stationery, literary gifts, educational materials, and other products connected with reading and study. The breadth varies by store and supports the chain's role as a general cultural retailer.
Marketing campaigns
- 1965The Book and the War
Portugal
A reading-promotion advertising campaign displayed in Bertrand's shop windows and connected books with reflection on the end of the twentieth anniversary period following the Second World War.
Outcome. The campaign is documented as an example of Bertrand's use of public-facing cultural advertising to encourage reading.
Brand decisions
2010
Acquisition by Grupo Porto EditoraM&ABackground
DirectGroup was reorganizing its Portuguese publishing, distribution, bookstore, and book-club assets.
Action taken
Grupo Porto Editora acquired the Portuguese DirectGroup businesses, including Livraria Bertrand and related Bertrand companies.
Aftermath
The transaction created the BertrandCírculo group within the Porto Editora organization and established the current ownership framework.
2006
Acquisition by Círculo de LeitoresM&ABackground
The Bertrand Group comprised bookstore, publishing, and distribution activities.
Action taken
Círculo de Leitores acquired the Bertrand Group.
Aftermath
The Bertrand businesses were subsequently brought into the DirectGroup Portugal structure.
1942
Expansion under Didier MarcelStrategyBackground
Bertrand had developed from a historic Lisbon bookstore into a broader bookselling, publishing, and distribution business.
Action taken
Didier Marcel acquired a majority interest, after which the company expanded its bookstore network and strengthened its distribution of foreign books and periodicals.
Aftermath
The business entered one of its most substantial growth periods, with Georges Lucas serving as a long-term administrator.
Sources2 sources
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