Edizioni Piemme

Edizioni Piemme is an Italian book publisher whose catalogue combines religious publishing with fiction and illustrated books for children and young adults, as well as selected commercial fiction for general readers. The company was founded in 1982 by Pietro Marietti in Casale Monferrato, drawing on a family tradition in the book trade that dates to the nineteenth century. Its initial publishing program concentrated on religious subjects, a field that has remained an important part of the imprint's identity. Over time, Piemme expanded beyond religious titles into children's and youth publishing, fiction, and internationally successful translated works. The religious list has included works associated with major Catholic figures, including Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. This area gives Piemme a distinctive position within the Italian publishing market, connecting the house to devotional, theological, and church-oriented readerships while also allowing it to participate in broader discussions of faith and public life. A major strategic development came in 1999, when Elisabetta Dami joined the company. Dami brought approximately two decades of experience in children's publishing and helped strengthen Piemme's activity in that market. In 2000, the company introduced Il Battello a Vapore, an imprint focused on children's books. The imprint became associated with a broad range of reading for younger audiences, including the Geronimo Stilton series and the illustrated Milla & Sugar books by Prunella Bat. Geronimo Stilton became one of Piemme's most commercially important children's properties, with more than twelve million copies reported as sold in Italy alone in the reference material. Piemme continued to segment its youth catalogue in 2009 with the creation of Piemme Freeway, an imprint devoted to young-adult books. Its opening list included Luca Centi's fantasy novel Il silenzio di Lenth and Ann Edwards Cannon's Ho scoperto che ti amo. The move reflected the publisher's effort to address older teenage readers with dedicated branding rather than treating children's and young-adult fiction as a single market. The company also broadened its digital publishing activity. In 2010, it issued Take Me With You – Talks with Amanda Knox in Prison by Italian lawmaker Rocco Girlanda, described in the reference material as Piemme's first English-language e-book. This publication demonstrated an interest in electronic formats and in topical, internationally oriented nonfiction alongside the house's established print lists. In corporate terms, Piemme became part of the Mondadori Group in October 2003. Mondadori acquired 70 percent of the company for €14.104 million, after which Piemme operated within the group's publishing structure. It is now a division of Mondadori Libri S.p.A. rather than an independent publicly traded publisher. The imprint remains identifiable through its specialist lists and branded series, while benefiting from the distribution, commercial infrastructure, and wider publishing ecosystem of the Mondadori Group. Piemme's general-fiction profile includes works by internationally recognized authors, notably Khaled Hosseini, whose novel The Kite Runner is among the best-known books associated with the publisher. In January 2023, Piemme published Archbishop Georg Gänswein's memoir Nothing but the Truth: My Life Beside Pope Benedict XVI, shortly after the death of Pope Benedict XVI. The title illustrated the continuing relevance of the publisher's religious and church-related catalogue. Overall, Edizioni Piemme is best understood as a diversified Italian imprint built around religious publishing and reinforced by strong children's, young-adult, and commercial-fiction programs.

Edizioni Piemme was established in 1982 by Pietro Marietti in Casale Monferrato. The Marietti family had been active in the book trade since 1820, giving the new company a long-standing commercial and cultural connection to publishing. Piemme's earliest books addressed religious subjects, and religious publishing continued to be a core part of the catalogue. The list has included works by prominent Catholic figures such as Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. The publisher subsequently developed a broader fiction and children's program. Elisabetta Dami joined the company in 1999 after around twenty years in children's publishing. In 2000, Piemme created Il Battello a Vapore, an imprint dedicated to children's books. Its catalogue became associated with the Geronimo Stilton books and with the illustrated Milla & Sugar series by Prunella Bat. The Geronimo Stilton books became a particularly important property for the company, with more than twelve million copies reported as sold in Italy alone. Piemme's corporate ownership changed significantly in October 2003, when Mondadori acquired 70 percent of the company for €14.104 million. The transaction made Piemme part of the Mondadori Group; the publisher is now organized as a division of Mondadori Libri S.p.A. rather than as a separately listed company. In 2009, Piemme established the Piemme Freeway imprint for young-adult publishing. The first books associated with the imprint included Il silenzio di Lenth, a fantasy novel by Luca Centi, and Ho scoperto che ti amo by Ann Edwards Cannon. The dedicated imprint gave the company a clearer identity for teenage fiction and extended its age-range strategy beyond children's publishing. Piemme also experimented with digital publishing and English-language content. In 2010, it published Take Me With You – Talks with Amanda Knox in Prison, written by Italian lawmaker Rocco Girlanda. The work was identified as Piemme's first English-language e-book. In its wider fiction programme, the publisher has been associated with internationally successful authors including Khaled Hosseini, whose The Kite Runner is among the best-known titles linked with the house. Piemme also publishes the Ulysses Moore and Century children's sagas by Pierdomenico Baccalario. The religious dimension of the catalogue remained visible in January 2023, when Piemme released Archbishop Georg Gänswein's Nothing but the Truth: My Life Beside Pope Benedict XVI, a memoir published only days after the death of Benedict XVI. The title reflected the continuing role of religious and church-related books within the company alongside children's literature, young-adult fiction, general fiction, and digital formats. Today, Piemme operates within Mondadori's Italian book-publishing structure and is recognized for combining a historically religious list with strong branded programmes for younger readers and selected international fiction.

• 2023

  Gänswein memoir published

  [1]Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org

  Piemme released Archbishop Georg Gänswein's memoir about his life beside Pope Benedict XVI.

• 2010

  First English-language e-book

  [1]Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org

  Piemme published Take Me With You – Talks with Amanda Knox in Prison as its first English-language e-book.

• 2009

  Piemme Freeway launched

  [1]Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org

  The publisher created a dedicated young-adult imprint.

• 2003

  Mondadori acquired a majority stake

  [1]Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org

  Mondadori bought 70 percent of Piemme for €14.104 million, integrating the publisher into its group.

• 2000

  Il Battello a Vapore launched

  [1]Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org

  Piemme introduced its children's publishing imprint Il Battello a Vapore.

• 1999

  Elisabetta Dami joined Piemme

  [1]Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org

  Elisabetta Dami joined the publisher after an established career in children's publishing.

• 1982

  Company founded in Casale Monferrato

  [1]Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org

  Pietro Marietti founded Edizioni Piemme, building on his family's long involvement in the book trade.

A diversified Italian publisher positioned between religious and Catholic publishing and commercially oriented fiction for children, young adults, and general readers. Its specialist imprints and recognizable series provide distinct entry points for younger audiences, while its religious list and international fiction broaden the catalogue.

• Children's publishing imprint · 2000

  Il Battello a Vapore

  Launched in 2000, Il Battello a Vapore is Piemme's children's imprint. It encompasses fiction and illustrated books for younger readers and has served as the publishing home for important series including Geronimo Stilton. The imprint gives Piemme a recognizable editorial identity in the Italian children's-book market.

• Children's fiction series

  Geronimo Stilton

  Geronimo Stilton is one of the best-known children's properties associated with Piemme and Il Battello a Vapore. The series is built around the adventures of its mouse protagonist and has been a major commercial component of the publisher's children's programme. Reference material reports more than twelve million copies sold in Italy alone.

• Children's adventure saga

  Ulysses Moore

  Ulysses Moore is a children's adventure series by Pierdomenico Baccalario and one of the major youth properties associated with Edizioni Piemme. Its placement within Piemme's children's catalogue illustrates the publisher's emphasis on serialized, imaginative fiction for independent young readers.

• Children's adventure saga

  Century

  Century is another children's saga written by Pierdomenico Baccalario and published among Piemme's notable youth offerings. It forms part of the publisher's strategy of developing substantial adventure fiction with continuing characters and story arcs for younger audiences.

• Young-adult publishing imprint · 2009

  Piemme Freeway

  Created in 2009, Piemme Freeway is dedicated to young-adult books. Its initial list included Luca Centi's fantasy novel Il silenzio di Lenth and Ann Edwards Cannon's Ho scoperto che ti amo. The imprint extends Piemme's youth strategy from children's reading into fiction aimed at teenage audiences.

• Translated commercial fiction

  The Kite Runner

  Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner is among the best-known general-fiction publications associated with Piemme. Its presence in the catalogue reflects the publisher's role in bringing internationally prominent fiction to Italian readers alongside its specialist religious and youth lists.

• 2010

  Entry into English-language e-booksProduct launch

  Background

  Digital publishing was becoming an additional channel for publishers, and Piemme explored an English-language electronic edition.

  Action taken

  Piemme published Take Me With You – Talks with Amanda Knox in Prison by Rocco Girlanda.

  Aftermath

  The book was identified as Piemme's first English-language e-book, marking an expansion beyond its traditional Italian print catalogue.

  Source

• 2009

  Dedicated young-adult publishing strategyStrategy

  Background

  Piemme already had a substantial children's programme and sought a distinct editorial proposition for teenage readers.

  Action taken

  The company established the Piemme Freeway imprint for young-adult books.

  Aftermath

  The imprint expanded Piemme's segmented youth catalogue, beginning with fantasy and contemporary young-adult titles.

  Source

• 2003

  Mondadori took majority control of PiemmeM&A

  Background

  Piemme had developed from a family-rooted Italian publishing business into a house with religious, children's, and fiction programmes. Mondadori pursued majority ownership as part of its publishing expansion.

  Action taken

  In October 2003, Mondadori acquired 70 percent of Edizioni Piemme for €14.104 million.

  Aftermath

  Piemme became part of the Mondadori Group and is now operated as a division of Mondadori Libri S.p.A.

  Purchase price for 70 percent equity stake. €14.104 million acquisition price (October 2003)

  Source

1. 1Edizioni Piemmeen.wikipedia.org