Editorial Salvat
Spanish-Catalan publishing house best known for encyclopedias, dictionaries, educational collections, and illustrated reference works.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Editorial Salvat is a Spanish-Catalan publishing company founded in Barcelona in 1898 by Manuel Salvat i Xivixell, following an earlier partnership between the Salvat and Espasa families. The company developed from a printing and publishing operation into one of Spain's most recognizable producers of encyclopedias, dictionaries, educational series, atlases, literary collections, and popular reference books. Its origins are connected to Espasa Hermanos y Salvat, established in 1869 by Manuel Salvat and the brothers Pau and Josep Espasa. After Salvat left that partnership, he created Salvat e Hijo in 1898 with the participation of his son Pau Salvat i Espasa. Pau subsequently directed the company and helped expand its publishing program. The firm's early catalogue included the periodical Hojas selectas, the Diccionario Salvat Enciclopédico Popular Ilustrado, the Diccionario enciclopédico Salvat, a Catalan-language dictionary, and an art history series. These publications established a long-term emphasis on accessible reference information and illustrated knowledge. After Pau Salvat's death in 1923, his brothers Ferran and Santiago Salvat i Espasa continued the business. The company adopted the name Salvat Editores, S.A., modernized its production and distribution systems, and published works covering surgery, world history, agriculture, geography, and other specialized subjects. In 1932 it separated its printing activity into Imprenta Hispano-Americana S.A., reflecting the increasing scale and industrial organization of its publishing operations. The Spanish Civil War and the postwar period caused censorship, financial pressure, and operational disruption. Salvat's recovery accelerated during the 1950s, when it expanded through Latin American subsidiaries and broadened its educational and cultural catalogue. From the 1960s onward, the company became particularly associated with serialized and kiosk-distributed encyclopedias. Monitor, introduced in 1965, and the Diccionario Enciclopédico Salvat Universal, first issued in 1969, helped bring large reference works to a mass audience through installment sales and accessible pricing. Salvat also produced specialist and popular series, including the multi-volume Enciclopedia Salvat de la Fauna, directed by Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, and the Biblioteca Básica Salvat, created with Alianza Editorial to make Spanish and international literary classics widely available. The company maintained a substantial Catalan-language publishing program, including Salvat Català and Història de Catalunya, while also developing international distribution and publishing relationships. It worked with De Agostini in French-, German-, and English-language markets and established a significant presence in France and Latin America. At its height in the mid-1970s, the company employed approximately 4,000 people, according to the referenced historical account. Its production infrastructure included a relocated Barcelona printing facility and the Gráficas Estella plant in Navarre. In 1988, Salvat was acquired by the French multinational Hachette. Hachette later became part of the Lagardère-related Hachette-Matra structure after the 1992 merger of Hachette and Matra. Salvat is therefore best understood today as a historically important publishing house within a larger French communications and publishing group, rather than as an independent listed company.
History
Editorial Salvat's history began in Barcelona's printing and publishing trade. In 1869, Manuel Salvat i Xivixell formed Espasa Hermanos y Salvat with Pau and Josep Espasa i Anguera. The family relationship was strengthened when Manuel married Magdalena Espasa in 1872. After changes in the partnership, Manuel and Josep established Espasa y Compañía in 1881. Salvat left the arrangement in 1897 and founded Salvat e Hijo in 1898, with his son Pau Salvat i Espasa participating in the new business. Pau became a central figure in the publisher's development. He expanded the catalogue and, as an architect, designed the company's modernist building on Carrer de Mallorca in Barcelona in 1916. The early list combined general-interest periodicals with ambitious reference works. Hojas selectas ran for roughly two decades with contributions from writers in Spain and the Americas. Between 1906 and 1914, Salvat issued the nine-volume Diccionario Salvat Enciclopédico Popular Ilustrado, followed by a twelve-volume encyclopedic dictionary. Other early works included a Catalan-language dictionary and a history of art. Pau Salvat died in 1923, after which Ferran and Santiago Salvat i Espasa assumed leadership and the company became Salvat Editores, S.A. During the 1920s and 1930s they modernized machinery, production, and distribution. The catalogue extended into surgery, world history, agricultural knowledge, and geography. In 1932, publishing was separated from the printing operation through the creation of Imprenta Hispano-Americana S.A., an organizational step that reflected the scale of the enterprise. The Spanish Civil War and the years that followed imposed censorship and economic difficulties. Salvat did not fully recover until the middle of the 1950s. It then expanded its international reach, creating or operating subsidiaries in Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia. The period also saw new cultural and educational works, including El mundo de los niños and the five-volume Catalan Costumari Català, which was later republished. The 1960s and 1970s were the company's most visible encyclopedia-building period. Monitor, launched in 1965, used installment distribution through kiosks to make a large reference work affordable to ordinary households. The first Diccionario Enciclopédico Salvat Universal edition followed in 1969. Salvat later published the fauna encyclopedia directed by Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente and, with Alianza Editorial, the Biblioteca Básica Salvat. The latter sought to circulate Spanish and world literary classics through inexpensive, simply designed volumes and benefited from promotional support from Spain's public radio and television broadcaster. Salvat continued publishing in Catalan, notably with the eight-volume Salvat Català issued from 1974 to 1977 and the six-volume Història de Catalunya issued in 1978 and 1979. Its international strategy included cooperation with De Agostini for French-, German-, and English-language markets, while its French presence became particularly successful. Production facilities were also reorganized: the Barcelona printing operation was moved to Sant Boi de Llobregat, and Gráficas Estella opened in Navarre in 1968. By the mid-1970s, the business reportedly employed about 4,000 people. Hachette acquired the publishing house in 1988. In 1992, Hachette and Matra combined to create Hachette-Matra, placing Salvat within a larger French communications group. The available reference material does not provide a detailed account of later editorial programs or current management, but the historical identity of Salvat remains closely associated with accessible encyclopedias, reference publishing, educational series, and Spanish- and Catalan-language cultural works.
- 1992
Salvat enters the Hachette-Matra structure
[1]Hachette and Matra merged, creating the group structure identified in the reference account as Hachette-Matra.
- 1988
Hachette acquires Salvat
[1]Editorial Salvat was acquired by the French multinational Hachette.
- 1978
Història de Catalunya begins publication
[1]The six-volume Catalan history series was issued in 1978 and 1979.
- 1974
Salvat Català begins publication
[1]The eight-volume Catalan encyclopedic dictionary was issued between 1974 and 1977.
- 1970
Enciclopedia Salvat de la Fauna begins
[1]The fauna encyclopedia began publication under the direction of Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente and continued through 1973.
- 1969
Diccionario Enciclopédico Salvat Universal appears
[1]The first edition of this major Spanish-language reference work was released.
- 1968
Gráficas Estella opens
[1]The company opened an industrial printing plant in Estella, Navarre, while also relocating its Barcelona printing operation to Sant Boi de Llobregat.
- 1965
Monitor launches
[1]Salvat introduced Monitor as a modern encyclopedia distributed through kiosk installments.
- 1958
El mundo de los niños is published
[1]The children's encyclopedia appeared during Salvat's postwar recovery and renewed expansion into educational publishing.
- 1932
Printing is separated from publishing
[1]The printing operation was separated into Imprenta Hispano-Americana S.A.
Products and positioning
Mass-market reference, educational, cultural, and illustrated publishing, with a particular historical strength in encyclopedias and serialized collections.
Encyclopedia · 1965
Monitor
Introduced in 1965, Monitor was a modern general encyclopedia designed for mass distribution through kiosk installments. Its format helped Salvat reach households that might not have purchased a complete reference set at once, making serialized publishing and accessible payment patterns central to the product's public appeal.
Encyclopedic dictionary · 1969
Diccionario Enciclopédico Salvat Universal
First issued in 1969, this Spanish-language encyclopedic dictionary was one of Salvat's principal reference products. It represented the publisher's emphasis on combining dictionary coverage with broader encyclopedic information in a large, organized work intended for general readers.
Natural-history encyclopedia · 1970
Enciclopedia Salvat de la Fauna
Published from 1970 to 1973, this illustrated fauna encyclopedia was directed by Spanish naturalist and broadcaster Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente. It extended Salvat's reference publishing into popular natural history and used an accessible editorial approach suited to a broad readership.
Literary collection
Biblioteca Básica Salvat
Produced in collaboration with Alianza Editorial, Biblioteca Básica Salvat was designed to disseminate Spanish and international literary classics to a mass audience. Its straightforward presentation and affordable pricing supported the collection's educational and cultural mission, while promotional support from RTVE increased its visibility.
Catalan encyclopedic dictionary · 1974
Salvat Català
Salvat Català was an eight-volume Catalan-language encyclopedic dictionary published from 1974 to 1977. It formed part of the company's sustained commitment to Catalan-language reference and cultural publishing.
Regional history · 1978
Història de Catalunya
This six-volume history of Catalonia was published in 1978 and 1979. It reflected Salvat's role in producing substantial Catalan-language works alongside its Spanish-language encyclopedias and general reference titles.
Cultural reference · 1950
Costumari Català
Joan Amades's five-volume Costumari Català was published by Salvat from 1950 to 1956 and later republished in 1982. The work documented Catalan customs and traditions and illustrates the publisher's cultural as well as encyclopedic role.
Brand decisions
1992
Join the Hachette-Matra group structureM&ABackground
Hachette combined with the technology company Matra as part of a broader corporate restructuring.
Action taken
The merger created Hachette-Matra, the group identified as Salvat's parent structure in the reference material.
Aftermath
Salvat remained associated with a larger diversified French communications organization.
1988
Accept acquisition by HachetteM&ABackground
Salvat had developed into a large publishing house with international activity and substantial reference and educational operations.
Action taken
The company was acquired by the French multinational Hachette.
Aftermath
Salvat became part of a larger French publishing and communications group rather than continuing as an independent company.
1965
Adopt serialized kiosk distribution for MonitorProduct launchBackground
Large encyclopedias could be expensive and difficult to distribute as complete sets to a mass audience.
Action taken
Salvat launched Monitor using installment-style kiosk distribution.
Aftermath
The model strengthened Salvat's visibility in popular reference publishing and helped make encyclopedia ownership more accessible.
1932
Separate the printing operation from the publishing companyStrategyBackground
As Salvat expanded its catalogue and industrial capacity, the company reorganized its production structure.
Action taken
The printing business was placed in a separate company, Imprenta Hispano-Americana S.A.
Aftermath
The separation created a clearer distinction between editorial activity and industrial printing operations.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/editorial-salvat · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled