The capital is a mine of old books, to the point that the Madrid City Council has published a treasure map with 86 bookstores where we can find them. As a tribute to the tradition of collecting printed stories from other eras, the Iberian Association of Antiquarian Bookstores (AILA) has organized the XIV International Antiquarian Book Fair.
The fair will be held from Thursday, November 28 to Sunday, December 1 at the Carlos de Amberes Foundation, a cultural institution that has been promoting scientific and humanistic activities in the city since the 17th century. This year, the event will feature prestigious bookstores from other Western countries, including Peter Harrington Books (London), Librairie Camille Sourget (Paris), Librairie Clavreuil (Paris) and Michael Khün (Berlin).
Letters, plans and other wonders of the past
During the four days of the fair, visitors will see manuscripts, atlases, engravings and antique books from different periods: from the 15th century to the Belle Époque. Some of the copies are of incalculable historical value, such as the first edition of a Spanish-language navigation manual, Suma de geographia (1519), written in America by the navigator Martín Fernández de Enciso, the first geographer of the New World.
Among the fair’s star volumes is the first edition of Avellaneda’s Don Quixote (1614), as well as the collection of picaresque literature, which includes original editions of classics such as Lazarillo de Tormes.
The most observant will find true gems for collectors: a postcard signed by Lorca, the first maps of Madrid, a photo album with a dedication by Dalí, the second edition of Goya’s Los Proverbios, and many other rarities.