Nerbini

Edizioni Nerbini is one of the oldest publishing houses in Florence, Italy, founded in 1897 by Giuseppe Nerbini, who had begun his career as a newsstand dealer in the 1880s. The first booklet printed by Nerbini dates to 1897 and was titled "La redenzione della donna nel socialismo." Over the following decades the firm published historical novels such as I Reali di Francia, I Vespri siciliani, Ettore Fieramosca and Giovanni delle Bande Nere, often sold in cheap instalments designed to bring myths and heroes to the masses as a form of popular education. Nerbini is best remembered for its pioneering role in Italian comics. In 1932 it published the first issue of Topolino, an illustrated newspaper dedicated to Disney's Mickey Mouse, which debuted on 31 December 1932 — a month before the analogous American publication Mickey Mouse Magazine. The company secured the rights to Floyd Gottfredson's daily strips and Sunday pages and was also authorised to produce Italian-made material. In July 1935, under pressure, Nerbini was forced to cede the magazine and its rights to Mondadori. In an even larger format, Nerbini published L'Avventuroso from 14 October 1934 until 28 February 1943, for 439 issues, introducing Italian readers to Flash Gordon and Mandrake; economic difficulties eventually forced it to hand this title to Mondadori as well. Between 1933 and 1944 the firm also issued a series of albums later known as the "Anteguerra" series, comprising 341 titles, including the celebrated Topolino contro Wolp. Beyond comics, Nerbini published great nineteenth-century French and Russian novels in instalments, cultural and current-affairs periodicals, art books, university texts and local-history works. Federico Fellini, before becoming a director, worked for the house as a draughtsman and humorous writer. Today Edizioni Nerbini continues to operate from Florence, describing itself as "Editori a Firenze dal 1897" and publishing across religion, theology, history, art, local culture and comics heritage, with imprints and series such as Nerbiniana and Nerbini International.

The Casa Editrice Nerbini was founded in Florence by Giuseppe Nerbini (1867–1934) in 1897. Giuseppe had started out as a newsstand dealer in the 1880s, and the first booklet he printed, in 1897, was titled "La redenzione della donna nel socialismo." He went on to publish historical novels such as I Reali di Francia, I Vespri siciliani, Ettore Fieramosca and Giovanni delle Bande Nere. One of Nerbini's priority objectives was to spread among the masses the myths and heroes that animated low-priced instalments, which served as an instrument of popular education. Nerbini is also regarded as one of the key publishers in the early relationship between cinema and comics in Italy. In the years before the rise of the Fascist regime and during its early period, the publisher mainly issued instalments that were later collected into volumes. These publications were not influenced by Fascism or the monarchy, because Nerbini was animated by a republican spirit. In 1932 Nerbini published the first issue of Topolino, an illustrated newspaper. Giuseppe Nerbini decided to dedicate a title to Disney's new character — which in 1932 received a special Oscar for the creation of Mickey Mouse — and the first issue appeared on 31 December 1932, anticipating by one month the analogous American first publication, Mickey Mouse Magazine. The title had a format similar to that of the Corriere dei Piccoli. Nerbini secured the rights to the daily strips and Sunday pages produced in America by Floyd Gottfredson and also obtained authorisation to publish others made in Italy. In July 1935 Nerbini was forced to cede the magazine and the rights to Mondadori. According to some hypotheses, both Nerbini and Mondadori turned to the Fascist government — one to defend itself against Mondadori's attack, the other to take the newspaper away from Nerbini; the Fascist arbitration then allegedly forced Nerbini to cede the title to Mondadori, in exchange for which Mondadori paid Nerbini a very high sum as severance. Nerbini continued to publish comic titles such as the Giornale di Cino e Franco. In an even larger format than the Topolino title, Nerbini published L'Avventuroso, issued from 14 October 1934 until 28 February 1943 for 439 issues, before being ceded, following economic difficulties, also to Mondadori — then known as API (Azienda Periodici Italiani) — which continued its publication for a short time. This title published for the first time in Italy important characters of American comics of the era, such as Flash Gordon and Mandrake. Between 1933 and 1944 a series of albums was also published that would later become known as the "Anteguerra" series of Nerbini, comprising 341 titles, some of which entered the history of Italian comics, such as the album Topolino contro Wolp. In addition to American-produced material such as Mickey Mouse, Tim Tyler's Luck, Radio Patrol, Secret Agent X-9 and Mandrake, it also published Italian series such as Pisellino and Pinocchio. Over the decades the house renewed itself, becoming a publishing brand known in Italy for over a hundred years and growing together with its public, finding initiatives, ideas, projects and intuitions for each new historical and cultural phase. Its catalogue came to include great nineteenth-century French and Russian novels sold in instalments to be accessible to all, beautifully produced cultural and current-affairs periodicals curated by leading figures of the age — including Federico Fellini, who before becoming a director was a draughtsman and humorous writer for the house — as well as art books, university texts and local-history works. Today Edizioni Nerbini presents itself as "Editori a Firenze dal 1897" and continues to publish new titles across theology, history, art and culture, with series such as Nerbiniana and Nerbini International.

• 1943

  L'Avventuroso ceases publication on 28 February after 439 issues and is ceded to Mondadori (API).

• 1935

  In July, Nerbini is forced to cede Topolino and its rights to Mondadori.

• 1934

  L'Avventuroso debuts on 14 October, introducing Flash Gordon and Mandrake to Italy.

• 1933

  Start of the album series later known as the "Anteguerra" series, which would comprise 341 titles by 1944.

• 1932

  Nerbini publishes the first issue of Topolino on 31 December, a month before the American Mickey Mouse Magazine.

• 1897

  Giuseppe Nerbini founds the publishing house in Florence and prints his first booklet, "La redenzione della donna nel socialismo."

A historic Florentine publishing house combining popular comics heritage with scholarly, religious and local-culture publishing.

• Topolino (1932)

  Illustrated newspaper dedicated to Disney's Mickey Mouse; first issue 31 December 1932; ceded to Mondadori in 1935.

• L'Avventuroso (1934–1943)

  Large-format comic magazine, 439 issues, introduced Flash Gordon and Mandrake in Italy.

• Anteguerra album series (1933–1944)

  341 titles including Topolino contro Wolp, mixing American and Italian comics.

• Giornale di Cino e Franco

  Comic title Nerbini continued to publish after losing Topolino.

• Nerbiniana series

  Current scholarly series, e.g. Regola pastorale by Gregory the Great, edited by Alessandro Cossu.

• Nerbini International series

  English-language scholarly series, e.g. The Reception of St. Gregory of Nyssa in the Christian Traditions.

1. 1Home - Edizioni Nerbininerbini.it
2. 2Chi siamo - Edizioni Nerbininerbini.it
3. 3Dicono di noi - Edizioni Nerbininerbini.it
4. 4Hagiographica et Dogmatica Cypria (eBook) - Edizioni Nerbininerbini.it
5. 5Nerbini - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Casa Editrice Nerbini - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org