Three fine teas, a Paris bookshop and a book club in Vicenza

FIND YOUR STORY

A · An afternoon at Shakespeare and Company ↓

B · Three fine teas and three books to choose from ↓

C · From Ian McEwan to the Women's Prize for Fiction ↓

D · A book club inside one of the world's most beautiful bookshops ↓

E · Upcoming literary afternoons in November 2026 ↓

F · How to join the book club ↓

A · An afternoon at Shakespeare and Company ↓

It began with a weekend in Paris.

Lavinia Manfrotto, one of the three sisters who run Libreria Palazzo Roberti in Bassano del Grappa, was visiting the city with her daughter Virginia when they called at Shakespeare and Company, the famous English language bookshop opposite Notre Dame.

Among the crowded shelves and small rooms, Lavinia came across a reader entertaining a handful of people with a book.

The occasion stayed with her.

Shakespeare and Company has a distinguished literary ancestry. The present bookshop was founded by George Whitman in 1951 and later named in homage to Sylvia Beach's original Parisian establishment, where James Joyce's Ulysses was first published in 1922. Public readings and literary gatherings remain central to its identity. [2][3]

Back in Bassano, Lavinia proposed organising a similar gathering in the family's bookshop.

Her sisters, Lorenza and Veronica, liked the idea. They had one condition: it should involve something delicious to drink.

Preferably tea.

That was how Tè con i libri was born, bringing a little Parisian literary inspiration into a historic palazzo in the province of Vicenza. [1]

B · Three fine teas and three books to choose from ↓

The format has a charming sense of occasion.

Everyone reads the same novel in advance, then meets to discuss what they made of it. Lavinia introduces three possible books for the following gathering, and the participants choose which one they would like to read next.

Between the recommendations comes another pleasure: three different teas, introduced and served by Stefania Andriollo.

Stefania is the specialist behind Adoro The, a tea shop in Bassano del Grappa. According to Palazzo Roberti, she devoted ten years to studying the art of tea tasting before becoming part of the book club's programme. [1]

The relationship has become a friendship, with the tea tasting now an established part of the literary afternoons.

Earlier special editions even featured homemade cakes and pastries prepared by the booksellers themselves. [4]

Members of Tè con i libri currently receive a 5% discount on the books presented by Lavinia during the meetings.

C · From Ian McEwan to the Women's Prize for Fiction ↓

The reading list has an international outlook, with contemporary fiction, established literary names and emerging authors.

In April 2025, the club discussed Atonement, the novel by British author Ian McEwan, published in Italy as Espiazione. [5]

For its January 2026 meeting, readers chose The Safekeep, the debut novel by Dutch writer Yael van der Wouden, published in Italian as Estranea.

The novel won the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction, one of Britain's major literary honours, for its exploration of desire and the unresolved legacy of the Second World War. [6][7]

In March 2026, the chosen book was The Names, by British novelist Florence Knapp, published in Italy as Tre nomi. [8]

The programme also accommodates special meetings with authors. In April 2026, Italian novelist Franco Currò joined the club to discuss his debut crime novel Il coltello della memoria, published by Rizzoli. [9]

And after the summer break, September's gathering invited readers to bring recommendations from their holiday reading rather than discuss a single assigned book.

For anyone who enjoys discovering contemporary fiction, the appeal is a reading list chosen collectively, with the occasional opportunity to meet the author.

D · A book club inside one of the world's most beautiful bookshops ↓

The address deserves an afternoon of its own.

Libreria Palazzo Roberti occupies a seventeenth century noble residence in Bassano del Grappa, now home to an independent bookshop run by the three Manfrotto sisters.

Architectural Digest included it in a selection of nine of the world's most beautiful bookstores, praising the historic architecture and restored interiors. [10]

The building has an even more colourful biography: Napoleon Bonaparte stayed here during his Italian campaigns, and its frescoed reception rooms preserve scenes of Antony and Cleopatra painted in the eighteenth century.

Today the bookshop hosts author presentations, literary discussions, concerts and reading groups. Specific rooms and occasional garden settings depend on the programme, so ask where your chosen event will take place.

For the complete story of the palazzo, including Napoleon, Canova and the Manfrotto family's years working at London's Hatchards:

Libreria Palazzo Roberti · Bassano del Grappa

For historic interiors, internationally recognised bookselling and the extraordinary family story behind the shop.

E · Upcoming literary afternoons in November 2026 ↓

The next Tè con i libri date has yet to be announced in the official calendar, as of 31 October 2026.

Meanwhile, Palazzo Roberti has two forthcoming events of particular interest to lovers of literature, tea and international culture.

19 November 2026 · 6:00 PM

Anna Katharina Fröhlich · La tigre nel giardino

The German born novelist presents her new book, published by Mondadori, with a tasting of Indian teas.

The novel follows two women from a French aristocratic household to India, where an invitation from a wealthy Sikh family leads them into a world of elaborate social rituals and unexpected encounters.

Admission is free, with no advance reservation required. Arrive early, as places are limited. [11]

30 November 2026 · 6:00 PM

Laura Imai Messina · I confini segreti del Giappone

The Italian writer, who lives in Tokyo, presents her new book for Einaudi, exploring the customs, social codes and less familiar aspects of Japanese life.

Admission is free, without advance reservation, subject to available seating. [12]

These are separate literary events at Palazzo Roberti, rather than meetings of Tè con i libri.

 

F · How to join the book club ↓

TÈ CON I LIBRI · LIBRERIA PALAZZO ROBERTI

Address: Via Jacopo Da Ponte 34, 36061 Bassano del Grappa, Province of Vicenza, Italy.

Experience: A book club with discussions of contemporary fiction, three book recommendations and a guided tasting of three teas.

Admission: Free.

Reservation: Required, subject to available places.

Language: The bookshop's website is available in English, while meeting languages are not specified. International visitors can contact Lavinia directly for details about joining.

Contact: Lavinia Manfrotto

Telephone: +39 0424 522537

Email: lavinia@palazzoroberti.it

Official book club page:

https://www.palazzoroberti.it/it/te_con_i_libri

Good to know: The bookshop publishes individual event dates, which may vary. Contact Lavinia before planning your visit.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can visitors join a book club in Vicenza, Italy?

Libreria Palazzo Roberti in Bassano del Grappa, in the province of Vicenza, hosts Tè con i libri, a recurring book club open to reservations. Admission is free, subject to availability.

Is the Palazzo Roberti book club held in English?

The published meetings are presented in Italian, and the bookshop has not announced a separate English language edition. International visitors should contact Lavinia to confirm whether they can participate comfortably.

Do you need to read the book before attending?

The usual format involves reading a selected novel before discussing it with the group. Some special editions feature guest authors or participants' own reading recommendations. Ask about the format of your chosen meeting when booking.

Can you attend a single meeting while travelling in Italy?

Reservations are accepted for individual meetings, subject to available places. Contact the bookshop to confirm arrangements for occasional visitors.

Is afternoon tea included?

The regular Tè con i libri format includes three fine teas selected and presented by a specialist tea taster. The experience is a literary tea tasting, rather than a conventional British afternoon tea service.