Salento wins in Turin: Idrusa named national "Straordinaria" bookshop

Idrusa, the bookshop in Alessano at the tip of Salento, has been awarded the first national "Straordinaria" prize by Ali (Association of Italian Booksellers) at the Turin Book Fair. The prize was collected by founder Michela Santoro, praised for making the bookshop a welcoming and unifying cultural hub.

The jury selected Idrusa from ten finalists, highlighting its social role and its ability to build a community around books.

• Place: Idrusa Bookshop, Alessano (Le)
• Award: "Straordinaria" — promoted by Ali/Confcommercio
• Reason: cultural and social impact; capacity to foster local readership and community

The piece also notes Idrusa's connection with the distributed festival "Armonia. Narrations in Terra d’Otranto", which will travel across Salento until October with stops including Specchia, Lucugnano, Alessano and Leuca, and events such as the Region of Puglia's Reading Pact launch scheduled for 27 June in Lucugnano.

For Michela Santoro, who opened Idrusa in 2004, the award recognises years of steady work that transformed the bookshop into «a place to belong» as well as to visit.