Reading feels like the smell of books, allowed to linger for a long time under the sun’s rays, and the moss-like softness of pages when a storm bursts and the rain melts little by little into the ink of the printed letters. Reading feels like flipping through a paperback at the bookstore, deciding whether or not to leave with it under your arm.

Reading feels like the fascination of exploring the plethora of libraries scattered around Italy, new or old, sacred temples of knowledge, where your fingers and eyes point to the rich shelves and where even the most avid reader feels overwhelmed. Reading awakens all the senses, especially when in the beautifully intricate, historic libraries of Italy.