Legatoria del Vico is easy to miss. An old fashioned bookbinder, it is tucked away on a quiet side street which seems to be mostly used as a throughway or a car park. The storefront is unassuming – I walked past it several times before locating it. There is no website, email, or social media presence, a decision that speaks to simpler times and which seems unlikely to change. It embodies a Romanness that is hard to define but is instantly recognizable, staffed by men who casually smoke cigarettes indoors and appear to know all of their clients intimately.

Inside, the small shop is full of machinery and the smell of paper. Books, glue, and thread jostle for space on the shelves and tables, while various instruments of the trade spill from nooks and crannies. The proprietor, who declined to give his name, greets most of his customers by name, but demurred when asked how potential customers found them; word of mouth is sufficient. For these customers, books may be rebound or photo albums crafted. The number of clients the shop has varies, along with the cost of services – working with this bookbinder is a personally tailored experience. The beautifully worked covers seen on one of the shop’s finished books, carefully stamped and embossed, speak to the craftsmanship involved. This attention to detail has been finely honed – the shop has been open for seventy years. Modest decorations display their accomplishments and recognitions, and the staff moved with a calm assurance, creating an atmosphere that feels almost out of time. Legatoria del Vico is not interested in moving into the modern era, and perhaps it is best left as it is.