New Board Elected at ALAI, the Associazione Librai Antiquari d'Italia

Image above: The new board of ALAI, elected on 21 May 2025

Founded in 1947 as the Circolo dei Librai Antiquari by a small group of Milan-based booksellers, ALAI has grown steadily over the decades. Just a year after its founding, ALAI joined the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and has ever since played an active role in the international rare book community.
By 1971, the association had grown and renamed itself to "Associazione Librai Antiquari d’Italia", continuing its work to support ethical standards in the trade and to encourage collaboration with collectors, institutions, and libraries.

Over the decades, ALAI has played a prominent role within the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers; ALAI organized ILAB Congresses in Milan (1953), in Ravenna (1964), the 28th ILAB Congress together with the 11th International Book Fair in Venice (1986), the 39th ILAB Congress and 23rd International Antiquarian Book Fair in Bologna (2010), as well as ILAB Committee and Presidents' Meetings in 1974 and 1999 in Turin and Florence.

In addition to its involvement in international congresses, ALAI has a long tradition of organizing antiquarian book fairs across Italy. Until 2017, the association held annual fairs in rotating cities, mainly in Milan in the spring and Bologna in the autumn. Since 2018, ALAI booksellers have been actively participating in three major fairs each year, typically hosted in Milan, Turin, or Venice.
Since 2023, ALAI organized along with FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) the Milan Antiquarian Book Fair at Villa Necchi Campiglio. This villa is a masterpiece of rationalist architecture designed by architect Piero Portaluppi in the 1930s and is the ideal site for this event. Located in the heart of Milan, not far from Via Montenapoleone and the Duomo, it offers visitors a unique experience thanks to its timeless elegance and interiors rich in works of art and fine furnishings.

ALAI works closely with the main institutions responsible for safeguarding the country's national heritage (Ministry of Culture, Superintendencies, and Carabinieri) and actively promotes the profession through exhibitions, conferences, and round tables of a high academic level.

The association also publishes ALAI. Rivista di cultura del Libro, edited by Giovanni Biancardi, which features articles on book collecting, notable bibliophiles, and the history of publishing.

Today, it includes over 100 antiquarian bookselling firms from across Italy, offering collectors the opportunity to engage with knowledgeable and professional dealers throughout the country.

At the recent election, the president and vice-president were re-elected for a new term, and the board now consists of the following members:

President: Gabriele Maspero (3rd term)

Vice-President: Anna Franchini Baumann (3rd term)

Committee Members: Giorgio Bacchetta, Alessandro Borgato, Edoardo Chellini, Giovanni Valentino Vinci, Antonio Zanfrognini

For more information and to find an ALAI bookseller, please have a look at the website >> HERE