“Rizzoli carries a great selection of Italian language books and publications on the cultural heritage of Italy.
With its dedication to Italian culture, Rizzoli Bookstore serves as an important hub for the Italian American community.”
Isabella Rossellini, Actor
Rizzoli Bookstore located at 1133 Broadway in New York City celebrates 60 years of bookselling. The store was founded in 1964 by Milanese entrepreneur Angelo Rizzoli. Rizzoli was a multi-hyphenate before the phrase was en vogue: a publisher of books, newspapers, and magazines, a film producer, and owner of a chain of bookstores in Milan, including the famous Rizzoli Flagship store located in the Galleria, a popular tourist destination as well as a perennial local favorite. Serving as a producer of classic films such as Fellini’s 8½, Une Parisienne, and La Dolce Vita, Angelo Rizzoli’s cultural contributions are significant.
Rizzoli Bookstore, like a true New Yorker, has had many homes: starting in midtown in the Scribner Building located at 597 Fifth Avenue 1964, later moving to the Henri Bendel Building at 712 Fifth Avenue, before calling 57th Street home where the shop became an institution. Additional stores were located nationwide in Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, and other cities as well as three additional locations in New York. While the other locations no longer operate, following 57th Street’s tragic demolition in 2014, Rizzoli Bookstore relocated to its current home on Broadway in the heart of the dynamic and vibrant Nomad neighborhood located in the Beaux-Arts Saint James Building, an architecturally significant stone, brick, terra cotta and masonry masterpiece dating from 1896 designed by renowned architect, Bruce Price. After it’s opening, the building housed the offices of architect Daniel Burnham, serving as the ideal perch for Burnham to keep progress checks on the Flatiron Building, the neighborhood anchor that he was building at the time. The current home of Rizzoli Bookstore at 1133 Broadway is in the space formerly occupied by the Havana Tobacco Company, a showroom originally designed by McKim, Mead, and White (the columns and floorplan exist as originally designed; the original murals now re-envisioned by Fornasetti). The Saint James has been a design hub for the past century-plus, making it the natural new home for this next moment in Rizzoli’s long history in New York.
Over the last 60 years, the bookstore both had a screening room and served as the backdrop for many TV shows and movies looking to capture a specific moment in New York City, a city with an inherent love of literature. Episodes of Law & Order and Woody Allen’s Manhattan are just some of the cameras that have shown booklovers near and far a glimpse of New York. Who can forget Meryl Streep and Robert DeNiro’s encounter at the cash registers in 1984’s Falling in Love? In 2024, renowned Spanish filmmaker and Golden Lion winner, Pedro Almodóvar, specifically selected Rizzoli Bookstore for a scene in his latest movie, The Room Next Door, to capture the grace and beauty of bookselling at its best. Rizzoli Bookstore’s former West Broadway / SoHo location, which closed in 2002, was featured in an early episode of Sex in the City. Many TV and Hollywood notables have been long-time admirers and customers of the bookstore.
Rizzoli Bookstore since its inception is widely considered one of the foremost booksellers in America specializing in literature, photography, architecture, interior design, culinary, and the fine and applied arts. The store also stocks a selection of Italian, French and Spanish-language fiction and non-fiction literature, a unique find in New York City. Rizzoli Bookstore celebrates its rich heritage as a vibrant cultural hub. Beyond its renowned collection of books, the bookstore regularly hosts a diverse range of events, including book launches, live concerts, performances, wine tastings, and creative workshops. These activities foster a growing community of book lovers and culture enthusiasts, solidifying Rizzoli’s place at the heart of New York City’s cultural scene. Since moving to the Nomad neighborhood, Rizzoli Bookstore has been a destination known for hosting events for some of the biggest names in arts and culture spheres. As it looks to the future, Rizzoli Bookstore continues to be a space where literature and the arts come together to inspire and connect.
To honor and commemorate the anniversary, Rizzoli Bookstore will host a series of special programs throughout the fall and into 2025, complete with limited-run collections of anniversary tote bags and pencils. Rizzoli Bookstore’s star-studded event series will celebrate its long history of cinema, music, literature, and Italian culture in the heart of New York. Such luminaries as Laurie Anderson, David Godlis, Garth Greenwell, Jhumpa Lahiri, Ira Sachs, Patti Smith, and Chris Stein will come together for thought-provoking conversations about inspiration, collaboration, and how they create art, in the spirit of cultural cross-pollination that has marked Rizzoli since its storied Midtown days. New York–based genre-defying ensemble Tredici Bacci pays tribute to Rizzoli’s influential role as a film producer with a concert inspired by the soundtracks Nino Rota composed for Federico Fellini’s films.
The annual Rizzoli Bookstore Holiday Fair returns on December 4 with a roster of beloved authors signing the season’s hottest releases, along with a cornucopia of Italian pastry and Prosecco. Headlining the event are André Aciman (ROMAN YEAR), Christian Siriano (RED CARPET DREAMS), Maira Kalman (STILL LIFE WITH REMORSE), Hunt Slonem (BITTY BIRDS), and Joshua Charow (LOFT LAW), with more to be announced closer to the date. In addition to a spectacular line-up of authors, Rizzoli Bookstore will also host a trunk show with BOOKS, BY THE BMS, Brian Stanziale’s collection of custom gilded books which takes the bespoke book in an innovative new direction and will dress up any bookshelf or coffee table–simply perfect for holiday gift giving, for yourself or a loved one!
To round out the festivities, a two-day celebration of contemporary Italian literature featuring authors Giulia Caminito, Ginevra Lamberti, and Paolo Nori, curated by the international literary festival Le Conversazioni, directed by Antonio Monda, in collaboration with SIAE and AIE.
- Wednesday, October 9: Garth Greenwell and Ira Sachs
- Thursday, October 17: Jhumpa Lahiri and Laurie Anderson
- Sunday, October 20: Rizzoli Music Aperitivo presents 13½ – Federico Fellini & Nino Rota, Tredici Bacci Style
- Monday, November 11: Patti Smith and Lynn Goldsmith
- Wednesday, November 13: David Godlis and Chris Stein
- Wednesday, December 4: Rizzoli Bookstore Holiday Fair
- Monday and Tuesday, December 9 and 10: Le Conversazioni with SIAE and AIE, featuring authors: Giulia Caminito, Ginevra Lamberti and Paolo Nori
“As an Italian-rooted company, Rizzoli has always been a bridge between our rich cultural heritage and the vibrant diversity of New York City. For 60 years, Rizzoli Bookstore has been more than just a place to find books; it has been a cultural landmark that celebrates the finest in literature, art, design, fashion and Italian tradition. Through our publications, we are proud to continue our legacy of excellence, bringing high-end, beautifully crafted books to readers who seek quality and inspiration. Rizzoli is, and will remain, a symbol of Italian elegance in the world and a leading reference for extraordinary cultural experiences.”
Stefano Peccatori, President and CEO, Rizzoli
