Fausto Fiorentino Editore

Casa editrice Fausto Fiorentino (also known as Fausto Fiorentino Editore) is an Italian publishing house founded in Naples in 1936 by Fausto Fiorentino, together with the bookshop of the same name. From its origins the firm specialised in non-fiction, Neapolitan history and meridionalistica (the study of southern Italy), and it built a reputation for fine editions devoted to local history and culture. The historic bookshop, distinct from the publishing house, remained in Calata Trinità Maggiore and became a meeting place for intellectuals, clients and friends, including Gino Doria, Roberto Pane, Fausto Nicolini, the publisher Riccardo Ricciardi and the philosopher Benedetto Croce. Among its notable publications, the house printed the first edition of the celebrated poem 'A livella by Totò. After a period of inactivity, activity resumed in 1974 thanks to Paolo De Feo and Vincenzo Manganiello under the guidance of the essayist, historian and journalist Max Vajro, who from 1980 served as its administrator and director. Having acquired the trademark in 1989, Vajro relaunched it under the name FAUSTO FIORENTINO EDITRICE with cultural and artistic publications, and in 1999 it was merged into the Il Denaro editorial group while he continued to direct it. During these years Vajro wrote for Fiorentino the official volume for the G7 in Naples, edited and curated large illustrated works such as La Reggia di Caserta, the complete reprint of the five volumes of the Voyage pittoresque, the Dichiarazione dei disegni by Vanvitelli, and conceived the three-volume work Napoli nel Novecento edited by Fulvio Tessitore, Alda Croce and Domenico Conte with the collaboration of 150 scholars. The historic brand remained on the market until Vajro's death in 2004, but a revival began in 2012 thanks to the effective synergy of Denaro Libri and Kairòs Edizioni. Presided over by the journalist Alfonso Ruffo and directed by the essayist and writer Andrea Jelardi, it has preserved its original vocation as a company specialising in the publication of texts on Neapolitan and southern Italian culture. The founder, Fausto Fiorentino, born in Naples in 1907, was a lover of culture and an expert bibliophile, a prominent figure in twentieth-century Naples both as a publishing entrepreneur and as a bookseller, known for his vivacity and cultural passion as well as for his singular habit of refusing discounts to wealthier customers while giving books to those who could not afford them. Modest and retiring, he preferred to present himself as "the bookseller of Benedetto Croce" rather than as a publisher or entrepreneur.

Fausto Fiorentino Casa Editrice was founded in Naples in 1936 by Fausto Fiorentino, together with the bookshop of the same name. The bookshop, unlike the publishing house, still has its historic premises in Calata Trinità Maggiore and was a meeting place for intellectuals, clients and friends, including Gino Doria, Roberto Pane, Fausto Nicolini, the distinguished fellow publisher Riccardo Ricciardi, and the great philosopher Benedetto Croce. The publishing house specialised mainly in fine editions on local history, a vocation it always maintained, printing among other things the first edition of the famous book of poems 'A livella by Totò. After a period of inactivity, it resumed activity in 1974 thanks to Paolo De Feo and Vincenzo Manganiello under the guidance of the distinguished essayist, historian and journalist Max Vajro, who from 1980 was its administrator and director. Having acquired the trademark in 1989, he relaunched it under the name FAUSTO FIORENTINO EDITRICE with cultural and artistic publications, and in 1999 merged it into the Il Denaro editorial group while continuing to direct it. In these years Vajro wrote for Fiorentino the official volume for the G7 in Naples, edited and curated large illustrated works such as La Reggia di Caserta, the complete reprint of the five volumes of the Voyage pittoresque, the Dichiarazione dei disegni by Vanvitelli, and conceived the three-volume work Napoli nel Novecento edited by Fulvio Tessitore, Alda Croce and Domenico Conte with the collaboration of 150 scholars. The historic brand remained on the market until Vajro's death in 2004, but a revival began in 2012 thanks to the effective synergy of Denaro Libri and Kairòs Edizioni. Presided over by the journalist Alfonso Ruffo and directed by the essayist and writer Andrea Jelardi, it has preserved its original vocation as a company specialising in the publication of texts of Neapolitan and southern culture. The founder, Fausto Fiorentino, was born in Naples in 1907. A lover of culture and an expert bibliophile, he was also a prominent figure in twentieth-century Naples, both as a publishing entrepreneur and as a merchant, well known for his vivacity and cultural passion as well as for his singular habit of refusing discounts to wealthier customers and, conversely, giving books to those who could not afford to buy them. A sportsman and a boxing enthusiast in his youth, he favoured singing, palm reading and cooking as hobbies, inventing recipes such as vermicelli and the "alla Fiorentino" sauce. Modest and retiring, he did not like to call himself a publisher, nor an entrepreneur, preferring instead to present himself as "the bookseller of Benedetto Croce", citing the constant presence of the distinguished philosopher in his bookshop. The presence of Massimiliano Vajro, Max to his friends, was particularly significant at the helm of the company thanks to his multifaceted personality. Born in Naples in 1930, he had graduated in letters with a thesis on bibliography and musicology, beginning his journalistic activity in 1950 as secretary of the Committee for the Boito celebrations presided over by Benedetto Croce; he was later a music critic for «Il Mezzogiorno» and «Il Giornale», as well as head of the press office of the Azienda di soggiorno and of the Società italiana per il progresso delle scienze. President from 1980 of the Società promotrice di belle arti and head of the press office of the Teatro di San Carlo from 1967 to 1972, he was also an editor, essayist and special correspondent for «Il Mattino» from 1968 to 1980, curator of television programmes and Rai columns, and director of local broadcasters. A refined and multifaceted writer and essayist, in 1954 he published his first essay, Il quartiere storico-turistico di Napoli with a preface by Amedeo Maiuri, and later Storia della canzone napoletana (Premio Napoli in 1957), the collection of historical writings Ritratto di Napoli con figure (1960) and the Storia di Napoli in ten volumes of which he was the creator and secretary. In 1965 he received the Premio Bodoni conferred on him by Giovanni Mardesteig in Parma. A member of the committee for the Jubilee in Campania (1998-2000), he was awarded the honour of Grande ufficiale della Repubblica in 1995, and in 2000 Cavaliere di Gran Croce by President Ciampi. In the same year he received the Graham Greene narrative prize in Capri presided over by Francesco Paolo Casavola, for the book Mia madre innamorata. He died in Naples in 2004.

• 2012

  Revival began thanks to the synergy of Denaro Libri and Kairòs Edizioni, presided over by Alfonso Ruffo and directed by Andrea Jelardi.

• 2004

  Death of Max Vajro; the historic brand remained on the market until then.

• 1999

  Merged into the Il Denaro editorial group while Vajro continued to direct it.

• 1989

  Vajro acquired the trademark and relaunched it as FAUSTO FIORENTINO EDITRICE.

• 1980

  Max Vajro became administrator and director.

• 1974

  Activity resumed thanks to Paolo De Feo and Vincenzo Manganiello under the guidance of Max Vajro.

• 1936

  Founded in Naples by Fausto Fiorentino together with the bookshop of the same name.

Specialist publisher of Neapolitan and southern Italian culture, history and meridionalistica, known for fine editions.

• 'A livella by Totò (first edition)

• La Reggia di Caserta

• Voyage pittoresque (complete reprint of five volumes)

• Dichiarazione dei disegni by Vanvitelli

• Napoli nel Novecento (three volumes)

• Official volume for the G7 in Naples

1. 1Casa editrice Fausto Fiorentinowikidata.org
2. 2Fausto Fiorentino Editoreit.wikipedia.org
3. 3Sito ufficialefaustofiorentinoeditrice.it