Corriere della Sera
One of Italy's oldest and most influential national daily newspapers, published by RCS MediaGroup.
Last updated October 5, 2026
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Overview
Corriere della Sera is an Italian national daily newspaper headquartered in Milan and published by RCS MediaGroup. It was founded by Eugenio Torelli Viollier and published its first issue on 5 March 1876. The title's name means “Evening Courier,” although it has long been a morning newspaper. From its Milanese origins, Corriere developed into a national general-interest publication covering politics, economics, international affairs, culture, science, sport and society. The newspaper became particularly influential during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Under the direction and ownership of the Albertini family, it built a reputation for professional reporting, editorial seriousness and relatively independent liberal-conservative commentary. Luigi Albertini, who served as editor and later became a major shareholder, is commonly associated with the paper's institutional development and its emergence as one of Italy's leading newspapers. Corriere's influence extended beyond circulation: its editorials and political reporting became an important reference point for Italian public debate. The title's history also reflects the political pressures placed on Italian journalism. During Fascism, the newspaper operated under the restrictions imposed by the regime, and its editorial independence was constrained. After the Second World War, Corriere resumed its role as a major national newspaper and gradually broadened its editorial organization and readership. It remained closely associated with Milan's economic and cultural life while reporting on the whole of Italy. Ownership changes in the late twentieth century placed Corriere within the larger Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera publishing structure, which later became RCS MediaGroup. The Rizzoli group's financial crisis in the early 1980s, together with the P2 scandal and the subsequent restructuring of the group, became a major episode in the history of Italian media ownership. Corriere continued publication through these changes and remained the flagship newspaper of the corporate group. In the digital era, the brand expanded from a print newspaper into a multi-platform news operation. Its digital activities include a news website, mobile and tablet products, subscriptions, newsletters, video and other online formats. The brand also operates or supports specialized editorial sections and verticals, including economics, sport, culture, lifestyle and regional coverage. Print remains an important part of its identity, but the business increasingly combines journalism, digital advertising, paid content and reader subscriptions. Corriere della Sera is positioned as a premium, mainstream and agenda-setting news brand. Its audience includes readers interested in national politics, business, public institutions, international affairs and cultural life, as well as digital users seeking continuously updated news. Its principal Italian competitors include La Repubblica, La Stampa, Il Sole 24 Ore and other national or regional news organizations. The newspaper remains active under RCS MediaGroup, whose controlling shareholder and leadership structure changed after Cairo Communication's acquisition of control of RCS in 2016.
History
Corriere della Sera was established in Milan by Eugenio Torelli Viollier in 1876, with its first issue appearing on 5 March of that year. It was created as a general daily newspaper and gradually became a national reference title while retaining strong links to Milan's commercial, political and cultural environment. The newspaper's early development is closely associated with the Albertini family. Luigi Albertini's editorial leadership helped strengthen the paper's reporting operation, institutional profile and influence. During this period, Corriere became known for substantial political and international coverage and for a style of journalism that sought authority among Italy's educated and professional readership. Its editorials acquired importance in national political discussion, making the title more than a source of daily information. The Fascist period imposed severe limits on Italian press freedom. Like other major newspapers operating under the regime, Corriere worked within censorship and political controls, and its editorial independence was compromised. After the fall of Fascism and the Second World War, the publication returned to the center of Italian public life. Postwar Corriere reported on the reconstruction of the country, the First Republic, economic modernization, social conflict, terrorism, the end of the Cold War and the political changes that produced the Second Republic. The newspaper later became part of the Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera publishing structure. The financial crisis of the Rizzoli group at the beginning of the 1980s triggered a major reorganization of the company's ownership and governance. The episode was connected to the wider P2 scandal, which exposed relationships between parts of Italy's political, financial and media establishment and members of the secretive Propaganda Due lodge. These events affected the ownership context surrounding the newspaper but did not end its publication or its role as a leading national title. The restructured publishing company evolved into RCS MediaGroup, with Corriere della Sera as its principal Italian newspaper brand. Through the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the publication maintained a broad print operation while expanding its sections and supplements. Coverage developed across politics, economics, foreign affairs, culture, science, sport, lifestyle and local or regional news. The brand also developed relationships with books, magazines, events and other publishing activities within the wider RCS portfolio. The internet changed the newspaper's distribution and revenue model. Corriere developed Corriere.it and additional digital products, including continuously updated news, multimedia reporting, newsletters, mobile access and paid content. Digital subscriptions and registration-based services became increasingly important as the newspaper responded to falling print consumption and the migration of advertising and audiences online. The brand's digital strategy has preserved the authority of the newspaper while broadening its reach beyond the physical edition. In 2016, Cairo Communication won control of RCS MediaGroup after a contest with a competing investor group. RCS was subsequently delisted from the Italian stock exchange, while Corriere della Sera continued as the group's flagship news brand. Today it remains an active Italian general-interest newspaper with print and digital operations, a prominent editorial voice and a substantial role in the country's media system.
- 2016
Cairo Communication takes control of RCS
[5]Cairo Communication gains control of RCS MediaGroup, and the group is subsequently delisted from Borsa Italiana.
- 1997
RCS MediaGroup formation
[2]The publishing group adopts the RCS MediaGroup identity, with Corriere della Sera as its principal Italian newspaper brand.
- 1981
Rizzoli crisis and P2 repercussions
[6]The financial crisis of the Rizzoli group and the P2 scandal lead to major changes in the ownership and governance context surrounding the newspaper.
- 1945
Postwar relaunch
[1]Following the end of the Second World War and Fascist rule, the newspaper resumes its postwar role in Italian public life.
- 1900
Albertini-era influence
[1]The Albertini family period helps establish Corriere as one of Italy's leading newspapers and an influential national editorial institution.
- 1876
First issue published
[1]Eugenio Torelli Viollier publishes the first issue of Corriere della Sera in Milan on 5 March.
Products and positioning
Premium, mainstream and agenda-setting Italian general-news journalism, combining national political and economic reporting with culture, sport, lifestyle and digital subscription products.
Print daily newspaper · 1876
Corriere della Sera
The flagship Italian general-interest daily. Its editorial package covers national and international politics, economics, public affairs, culture, science, sport, society and lifestyle. The print edition is supported by supplements, special sections and regional or thematic coverage.
Digital news platform
Corriere.it
The brand's online news service, providing continuously updated reporting and digital versions of the newspaper's editorial coverage. It combines written journalism with multimedia formats, specialist sections, newsletters and subscription-oriented services.
Digital subscription
Corriere della Sera digital subscription
Paid digital access associated with Corriere's online journalism and premium content. The subscription model forms part of the newspaper's response to the structural shift from print distribution toward digital readership and reader revenue.
Controversies
1981
P2 scandal and the Rizzoli-Corriere ownership crisis
The discovery of membership lists associated with the Propaganda Due lodge exposed relationships involving political, financial and media figures. The affair coincided with the financial collapse and restructuring of the Rizzoli group, the owner of Corriere della Sera, and became one of the most consequential ownership controversies in modern Italian media history.
Brand decisions
2016
Change of corporate controlM&ABackground
RCS MediaGroup faced a contested change-of-control process involving Cairo Communication and a competing investor group.
Action taken
Cairo Communication's offer prevailed, giving it control of RCS MediaGroup and therefore of Corriere della Sera.
Aftermath
RCS MediaGroup was delisted from Borsa Italiana, while Corriere della Sera continued operating as the group's flagship Italian newspaper.
- Expansion of digital publishing and reader revenueStrategy
Background
The newspaper industry faced declining print consumption and the migration of audiences and advertising to online channels.
Action taken
Corriere expanded its website, multimedia journalism, newsletters, mobile products and digital subscription services alongside the print newspaper.
Aftermath
The brand became a multi-platform news operation serving both print readers and digital audiences.
Sources6 sources
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