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Bookworming in a 19th-Century Theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Gazing beyond the racks of Borges and Cortázar in El Ateneo Grand Splendid, the largest bookstore in South America, you crane your neck to examine its enormous, domed ceiling, covered in a heavenly fresco depicting an "allegory of peace" by Italian painter Nazarene Orlandi (a man who apparently liked his allegories voluptuous). This late-19th-century theater still boasts maroon velvet curtains and ornate, gold leaf detailing along its three-tiered balconies. Instead of theater seats, the magnificent space is filled with books, reading rooms, cozy chairs and sofas, a kids area, and a café on the former stage.
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