Rizzoli Libri
An Italian book-publishing brand and former publishing company operating within Mondadori Libri.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Rizzoli Libri is an Italian book-publishing brand whose corporate history is rooted in the Rizzoli publishing group and the book division of RCS MediaGroup. The name is associated with general trade publishing, literary and commercial books, illustrated titles, educational publishing, and a portfolio of historic Italian imprints. It should be distinguished from the broader Rizzoli publishing identity used by RCS MediaGroup for non-book activities and from Rizzoli’s international publishing and bookstore operations, which were reorganized separately after the Mondadori acquisition. The brand’s deeper predecessor was A. Rizzoli & C., established by Angelo Rizzoli after his early career as a printing apprentice. The company expanded from printing and periodicals into books and participated in the production of the Treccani encyclopedia from 1929. In 1949 it created Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli, widely known as BUR, an imprint that became one of the most recognizable components of the group’s book business. During the 1960s, the organization developed bookstores and international activities, including a New York operation and Rizzoli International Publications. The group became part of the corporate structure later known as RCS MediaGroup following the acquisition of Corriere della Sera in 1974. Over subsequent decades, the book division expanded through acquisitions and integrations. The portfolio incorporated publishers and imprints including Fabbri, Sonzogno, Etas, Sansoni, Bompiani, Marsilio, Tramontana, and other educational or specialist brands. RCS Libri & Grandi Opere was formally organized in 1994, and the group subsequently became one of Italy’s largest book publishers. It also acquired the French publisher Flammarion in 2000, although that business was sold in 2012. The RCS book division entered a period of retrenchment in the 2010s. The business reported declining revenue during the years surrounding the Flammarion disposal and faced broader financial pressure within RCS MediaGroup. In 2015, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore agreed to acquire most of RCS MediaGroup’s book-publishing division. The transaction required disposals of several imprints and subsidiaries under an Italian competition-authority remedy. Adelphi, Bompiani, Marsilio, and Sonzogno were among the businesses or brands separated from the acquired portfolio, while Mondadori retained the book-publishing rights to the Rizzoli name together with brands such as BUR and Fabbri Editori. In April 2016, RCS Libri S.p.A. was renamed Rizzoli Libri S.p.A. under Mondadori Libri. The legal company was subsequently reorganized. Its trade-book activities were absorbed into Mondadori Libri, while Rizzoli Education remained a separate educational-publishing subsidiary. Rizzoli International Publications and Rizzoli Bookstore were transferred into Mondadori Electa, another Mondadori Libri subsidiary. As a result, contemporary Rizzoli Libri is best understood as a trade-publishing division and brand within the Mondadori structure rather than as the large, diversified standalone company that existed under RCS. The brand’s current scope therefore includes Italian-language trade books under Rizzoli and related imprints, while educational, international illustrated, and bookstore activities operate through associated Mondadori companies. Its positioning combines the heritage of a major Italian publishing name with the distribution, editorial infrastructure, and portfolio management of Mondadori Libri. The Rizzoli name remains particularly relevant in Italian general publishing and in international illustrated-book publishing, although rights, imprints, and corporate responsibilities have been redistributed since 2015–2018.
History
The Rizzoli Libri identity developed from the publishing activities of A. Rizzoli & C., the company founded by Angelo Rizzoli. Initially linked to printing and periodicals, the business moved into book publishing and contributed to the production of the Treccani encyclopedia beginning in 1929. In 1949, it established Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli, or BUR, an affordable-book imprint that became central to its publishing catalogue. During the 1960s, the Rizzoli group expanded its physical retail and international presence. It opened bookstores, including an operation in New York, and developed Rizzoli International Publications. The acquisition of Corriere della Sera in 1974 broadened the group into the Rizzoli–Corriere della Sera structure, later known as RCS MediaGroup. Book publishing became one of the group’s principal divisions. RCS expanded its catalogue through acquisitions. Fabbri, Sonzogno, and Etas entered the group in the 1990s, while Sansoni was acquired in 1992 and Bompiani in 1993. The RCS Libri & Grandi Opere division was organized in 1994. It acquired the textbook publisher Tramontana in 1998 and bought Marsilio Editori, Sfera Editore, and the French publisher Flammarion in 2000. These transactions made RCS one of the leading book publishers in Italy and gave it a substantial presence across trade, education, magazines, and specialist publishing. The international portfolio was later reduced. RCS sold Flammarion in 2012. In 2013, RCS reached an arrangement with Telecom Italia involving electronic books and online newspaper editions, including titles from Rizzoli, Bompiani, Fabbri, Adelphi, Archinto, Marsilio, Skira, and Sonzogno. RCS also reduced its interest in the Skira group during the same period. The book division faced pressure during the 2010s. Reported revenue declined from the high level associated with the pre-Flammarion portfolio to lower figures in subsequent years, while RCS MediaGroup recorded significant group losses. RCS Libri also became subject to an Italian competition-authority investigation concerning alleged anti-competitive conduct in the textbook market. The investigation formed part of the regulatory background to later scrutiny of the Mondadori transaction. In 2015, Mondadori agreed to buy most of RCS MediaGroup’s book-publishing division. The deal was completed with remedies intended to reduce concentration in Italian publishing. Adelphi was separated from the acquired group, and the competition authority required the disposal of Bompiani, Marsilio, and Sonzogno. Marsilio and Sonzogno returned to the De Michelis family’s GEM, while Bompiani was sold to Giunti. Mondadori retained the Rizzoli book name, BUR, Fabbri Editori, and other selected assets. RCS Libri was renamed Rizzoli Libri in April 2016. The renamed company was placed under Mondadori Libri, but its structure did not remain intact. In 2017, the trade-book operation was merged into Mondadori Libri, while Rizzoli Education continued as a separate subsidiary. Rizzoli International Publications and Rizzoli Bookstore moved under Mondadori Electa. The international illustrated business was subsequently associated with Rizzoli Electa, launched in 2018. The resulting organization is a distributed brand architecture rather than a single fully integrated company. Rizzoli continues as a major Italian trade-publishing identity, while Rizzoli Education serves the school and educational market and Rizzoli International Publications handles English-language and illustrated publishing. This structure preserves the historic Rizzoli name while aligning its individual activities with the specialized divisions of Mondadori Libri.
- 2018
Rizzoli Electa is launched
[1]Mondadori introduced Rizzoli Electa for international illustrated publishing.
- 2017
Trade publishing is absorbed into Mondadori Libri
[1]The trade-book section became a Mondadori Libri division, while Rizzoli Education and international activities were placed in separate structures.
- 2016
RCS Libri becomes Rizzoli Libri
[1]The legal company was renamed Rizzoli Libri after the Mondadori transaction.
- 2015
Mondadori agrees to acquire most of RCS Libri
[1]Most of the RCS book division was sold to Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, subject to regulatory remedies.
- 2012
Flammarion is sold
[1]RCS divested the French publisher Flammarion as part of a reduction of its international book assets.
- 2000
RCS acquires Flammarion and other publishing assets
[1]The group acquired Flammarion, Marsilio, and other businesses, strengthening its position in Italian and international publishing.
- 1994
RCS Libri & Grandi Opere is organized
[1]RCS consolidated major book and large-format publishing activities in a dedicated division.
- 1974
The group expands through Corriere della Sera
[1]The acquisition of Corriere della Sera helped create the broader RCS MediaGroup structure.
- 1949
BUR is established
[1]Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli was founded as an affordable and influential book imprint.
- 1929
Involvement with Treccani
[1]The Rizzoli business became involved in printing the Treccani encyclopedia.
Products and positioning
A heritage Italian publishing brand spanning mainstream trade books, literary and non-fiction titles, affordable classics, illustrated publishing, and education. Since the Mondadori acquisition and subsequent restructuring, the Rizzoli name functions primarily within the Mondadori Libri ecosystem, with international illustrated publishing and education handled through related Mondadori subsidiaries.
Trade publishing
Rizzoli
The core Rizzoli book imprint publishes Italian-language general trade titles across fiction, literary works, non-fiction, and commercially oriented categories. Following the post-2015 restructuring, the imprint operates within Mondadori Libri rather than as the former standalone RCS book conglomerate. The name benefits from the historic reputation of the Rizzoli publishing group while serving contemporary Italian readers through Mondadori’s editorial and distribution infrastructure.
Affordable editions and classics · 1949
Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli (BUR)
Founded in 1949, BUR is the historic affordable-book imprint of the Rizzoli group. It has traditionally made classics, literary works, and other widely read titles available in lower-priced editions. BUR became one of the most durable elements of the Rizzoli catalogue and was among the brands retained by Mondadori after the acquisition of the RCS book division.
Educational publishing
Rizzoli Education
Rizzoli Education publishes school textbooks and related educational materials for the Italian market. Its portfolio has included educational imprints such as Fabbri Editori, Tramontana, Sansoni per la Scuola, Etas, Rizzoli Languages, Calderini, Edagricole, Edizioni del Quadrifoglio, and Markes. After the trade-book business was integrated into Mondadori Libri, Rizzoli Education remained a distinct educational subsidiary.
International illustrated publishing
Rizzoli International Publications
Rizzoli International Publications is the New York-based international publishing operation associated with the Rizzoli name. It has focused on art, design, architecture, fashion, photography, lifestyle, and other illustrated books for English-language and global markets. After the Mondadori transaction, it moved under Mondadori Electa, together with the Rizzoli Bookstore operation and related international imprints.
International illustrated publishing · 2018
Rizzoli Electa
Rizzoli Electa is an imprint introduced by Mondadori in 2018 for international illustrated publishing associated with the Rizzoli heritage. It reflects the separation of the international illustrated operation from the Italian trade-book division and connects Rizzoli’s global English-language publishing activities with Mondadori Electa’s specialist and cultural publishing capabilities.
Specialist and graphic publishing
Rizzoli Lizard
Rizzoli Lizard is an associated imprint retained within the Mondadori book-publishing portfolio. It is connected with specialist and graphic-oriented publishing and forms part of the wider set of brands that survived the transfer of the RCS book division to Mondadori.
Brand decisions
2017
Integration of the trade-book divisionStrategyBackground
Mondadori was rationalizing the legal structure of its publishing subsidiaries after the RCS acquisition.
Action taken
The trade-book section of Rizzoli Libri was merged into Mondadori Libri, while Rizzoli Education remained a separate subsidiary and international assets moved to Mondadori Electa.
Aftermath
Rizzoli Libri ceased to function as a fully separate diversified publishing company and continued primarily as a brand and operating division.
2016
Renaming of RCS Libri as Rizzoli LibriStrategyBackground
The company had become part of Mondadori following the acquisition of the RCS book division.
Action taken
RCS Libri S.p.A. was renamed Rizzoli Libri S.p.A.
Aftermath
The Rizzoli name became the principal book-publishing identity retained from the former RCS portfolio.
2016
Divestitures required by the Italian Competition AuthorityOtherBackground
The Mondadori acquisition increased concentration in Italian book publishing and was reviewed under competition law.
Action taken
Mondadori was required to sell Bompiani, Marsilio, and Sonzogno; other assets, including Adelphi, were also separated from the acquired group.
Aftermath
Mondadori retained the Rizzoli book brand, BUR, and Fabbri Editori while losing several former RCS imprints.
2015
Sale of most of RCS Libri to MondadoriM&ABackground
RCS MediaGroup sought to dispose of its book-publishing division, while Mondadori sought to strengthen its position in Italian publishing.
Action taken
Mondadori acquired most of RCS Libri, with selected subsidiaries and imprints excluded or later divested.
Aftermath
The Rizzoli book brand entered the Mondadori Libri group, while regulatory remedies led to the separation of several important imprints.
2012
Divestment of FlammarionM&ABackground
RCS MediaGroup was reducing and reshaping its international publishing portfolio after a period of expansion.
Action taken
The group sold the French publisher Flammarion.
Aftermath
RCS Libri continued as a more Italy-focused publishing operation, with the transaction also affecting comparisons of reported division revenue.
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