Sopra il Lago Maggiore c’è la libreria più in altitudine d’Italia che combatte lo spopolamento delle montagne
The Libreria Alpe Colle, located in the Lepontine Alps overlooking Lake Maggiore, has become Italy's highest-altitude bookstore. Established in 2014, this unique cultural hub is accessible only by a hike through beech forests and historical WWI fortifications. It houses thousands of rare, out-of-print, and antique volumes, attracting a diverse mix of serious collectors and casual hikers who visit for both literature and local artisanal products.
Beyond its commercial function, the bookstore serves as a radical social experiment aimed at combating the depopulation of Italy’s mountain regions. By proving that cultural initiatives can generate employment and community engagement in remote areas, the project reframes the mountains not as abandoned spaces, but as viable centers for intellectual and social life. It acts as a catalyst for sustainable tourism and a new vision for alpine territory management.