El Ateneo - The Bookstore of Bookstores!

El Ateneo Grand Splendid is the best known bookstore in Buenos Aires and in 2008 was named the second most beautiful bookstore in the world.  It is located on Santa Fe Avenue, a short walk from our apartment and we went there in search of a guide book recommended to us by our Spanish teacher.  Neither of us had ever seen a bookstore quite like this.  Housed in a former theatre which had a seating capacity of over 1,000 and adorned with Italian frescoes and sculptures by the same artist whose work is in the legislative palace, El Ateneo still has the feeling of a grand theatre.  Only now, one can peruse a book before buying it in one of the still intact theatre boxes, or have a coffee on what was once a stage. I think the pictures below will show you what I mean.