The Enchanting World of Altieri Stationery

This is the story of the wonderful world of a traditional Roman stationery shop. The protagonists are Susanna and Roberta, owners of the Altieri stationery store, located in Via del Leone, just steps away from Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina and Fontanella Borghese, two of the most cheerful and elegant urban salons of our capital. THE STORY It all began fifty-eight years ago, in 1967, when Mario and Adolfina Altieri (who passed away at 96 and 90 years old) opened the stationery shop after managing a bar in Piazza in Lucina (the famous one now known as 'Ciampini') for over eleven years. Before the war, Mario had started his career with a bar at Scalera Film, the largest film production company of the time. Thanks to his friendship with Alida Valli, Valentina Cortese (with whom he was engaged for a few months), and especially with Rossano Brazzi, he even landed a role as an actor in the first black-and-white edition of Tosca. After marrying Adolfina, a young seamstress from Maison Carosa in Piazza di Spagna, he moved to Piazza in Lucina. The bar work was exhausting, but it was highly successful (Mario also did catering in private homes, like at Vittorio De Sica's house!). Roberta and Susanna were born, and Mario decided that the bar work would be too demanding for his two daughters in the future. So, in Via del Leone, just a few meters from the bar, he changed careers and opened a stationery shop. He wasn't yet an expert in the field and hired two young men from another famous company in the sector, Vertecchi, who would bring him the paper bags and envelopes he used at the bar every morning. This is the beginning of a fascinating commercial adventure that continues successfully to this day. THE DISTRICT Via del Leone is located in the vast Campo Marzio district. I'll limit myself to highlighting the area around the Altieri stationery shop. In front of the shop is the famous Matricianella restaurant. Not far away are other excellent restaurants: I due ladroni in Piazza Nicosia, in my opinion, one of the best in Rome, the classic Settimio all'Arancio and L'Arancio d'Oro, in Via Monte d'Oro and Via dell'Arancio, passionately managed by the Lino brothers, Luciano (sadly deceased), and Luigino, Diandra Sardinian cuisine in Via del Leoncino, and a few meters away, the fusion of Zuma. The magnificent Palazzo Ruspoli and Palazzo Borghese (home of the legendary Circolo della Caccia) stand as sentinels. The market at Monte d'Oro is a breath of authenticity with the excellent Minozzi butcher shop, the most Romanist in Rome, in front. On Piazza in Lucina, the crowded Ciampini and Vitti hangouts, the Basilica where I got married, the Provincial Command of the Carabinieri, a heroic newsstand, and a legendary pharmacy. More high-level commercial activities: from Fendi to Banchetti Sport, Pineider, Schostal, the Sagripanti tailor shop, the Astrologo optician, Glengarry golf, Brooks Brothers, the former Corso/Etoile cinema now Vuitton, in short, a shimmering mix of history, tradition, and chic globalization. THE OFFICES But let's return to the Altieri sisters, Susanna and Roberta. They tell me: "We started working in our parents' stationery shop after finishing high school and enrolling in university. We were immediately enchanted by that magical place. Envelopes, paper, pens, diaries. The whole world passed through here. The area was full of offices that sourced from Altieri. We began to diversify our offerings in the 80s and 90s. In addition to classic products, we added gift items, backpacks, along with typical Christmas and Carnival products. We were the first to display synthetic Christmas trees, and they even came with trucks to pick them up to sell in Sicily." I ask if the paper world has been facing challenges in recent years. They smile. "No, we need to debunk this false legend. The stationery shop is more appreciated now than ever. Because customers love to write more and more. They buy pens, diaries, notebooks. The diary, for example, is loved because you recognize 'your handwriting' on it, not the cold one typed on a computer. Today, the stationery shop is a sort of wonderland for a high clientele, lawyers, notaries. Mostly men, 90% of our customers are men." I joke: "So it's a paradise for the two female owners too." They smile. Politely. Roberta and Susanna are very polite. And they continue their story: "Seriously, the whole world has passed through here. Nilde Iotti used to come. Indro Montanelli used to come. Even President Andreotti, who had his office next door, used to come. He loved to stock up on markers. And his friend Ciarrapico would come and buy a huge amount of paper pads. Now, lawyer Giulia Bongiorno comes. And then many people from the entertainment world. Aroldo Tieri used to come with his wife Giuliana Lojodice. Sabrina Ferilli comes, with whom we've become friends; she says we brought her luck when she went to Sanremo. Paolo Sorrentino comes, a delightful person. Since stationery shops were open during Covid, he would come with a mask. And many Americans come, they go crazy for fountain pens. Even young ones. While young Italians approach the stationery shop around 35 when they have a stable job, not before. Many years ago, even elderly ladies dedicated to 'small thefts' would enter. One of these ladies made the news when she stole a silver plate from a nearby shop, Tupini, hidden under her fur coat." They laugh. And I ask: "But do you love your work?" A quick response: "We are in love with it. When we are in a city abroad, we visit local stationery shops. When a representative brings us new products, we take almost all of them. Pens drive us crazy too. It's an enchanted world of ours. In contact with people who are connected to solid meanings. The world of paper and writing will never die." PENCILS These words remind me of my father, Steno. One day he confided in me that if he ever stopped being a director, he would have wanted to open a stationery shop. He was a great draftsman in his youth. He loved pencils. And until the end, he mainly wrote his screenplays by hand. For him, working among sheets of paper, letter envelopes, and fountain pens was a true dream. He died too soon to fulfill it. The Altieri sisters fulfilled it instead. They love each other as sisters and brothers always should. They thank their parents for illuminating their lives. They continue a sort of family craftsmanship rich in values. Two wonderful people. Kind, friendly, with smiles on their faces. I've known them for many years, and every time I enter their shop, I feel something special. Because they know how to welcome you with affectionate professionalism. Maybe Dad was right. When I stop making films, I'll open a stationery shop. An enchanted world, as Susanna and Roberta say. An ancient tale that will never end.