Rusconi Libri

Rusconi Libri is an Italian publishing house founded in 1966 by Edilio Rusconi, who had previously managed the publishing firm Rusconi e Paolazzi. Initially focused on magazines, the company created its book division in 1969 and quickly became a protagonist of Italian culture for at least fifteen years. Under the editorial direction of Alfredo Cattabiani (1969–1978), Rusconi published literary series such as "Cultura nuova", "Tradizione" and "Problemi attuali", and was the first to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to Italian readers, a success that gave the house both commercial and reputational gains. The publisher also issued works by Ernst Jünger, Mircea Eliade, Eric Voegelin, René Guénon and many others. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rusconi expanded with biographies, children's books, manuals and art books, and acquired the small publisher Idealibri in 1986. In 1985 Edilio Rusconi handed the presidency to his son Alberto. The 1990s saw a crisis in the magazine sector, and in 1999 Alberto Rusconi sold the company to the French group Hachette. Hachette kept the magazines but spun off the book division, which was transferred to RCS Editori via the Caimi family, owners of Opportunity Book, Stock Libri, Idealibri and Joy Book. The Caimi family sold the Rusconi book catalogue to RCS while retaining ownership of the brand. In 2008 Maurizio Caimi, CEO of Opportunity S.p.A., transferred the Rusconi Libri brand to another of his companies, RL Gruppo Editoriale S.r.l. of Santarcangelo di Romagna. In 2011 RL Gruppo Editoriale became Rusconi Libri S.p.A. In 2013 Opportunity returned to the Caimi family, and on 1 January 2014 Stock Libri S.r.l. was born from the merger of Evergreen S.r.l. and Opportunity S.p.A.; Stock Libri currently distributes Rusconi Libri volumes. In 2020 the historic Roman publisher Fanucci Editore joined the group, and in 2022 Rusconi acquired the Jaca Book brand. The group also owns several bookshops in Italy. Today Rusconi Libri has a catalogue of about 1,400 titles, about 60% of which are for children, and operates from a 5,000-square-metre warehouse. Its editorial production is distinguished by an excellent quality-price ratio, offering well-crafted, high-quality products at highly competitive prices.

Rusconi Libri traces its origins to 1966, when Edilio Rusconi, who managed the publishing house Rusconi e Paolazzi (directed by Pietro Paolazzi), decided to set up on his own. He founded Rusconi editore, which in 1968 became Rusconi editore S.p.A. In its early years it published only magazines; then in 1969 it created the Book Division. Ugo Braga was appointed managing director and general manager. The first director of Rusconi libri, from 1969 to 1978, was Alfredo Cattabiani. Cattabiani created the literary series "Cultura nuova", "Tradizione" and "Problemi attuali", choosing as consultants Elémire Zolla, Augusto Del Noce, Rodolfo Quadrelli and Quirino Principe. The publishing house, a protagonist of Italian culture for at least fifteen years, was the first to bring to Italy, on the proposal of Elémire Zolla, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The work had appeared in Italy in 1967 with the translation by the young Vicky Alliata (then seventeen), published by Mario Ubaldini. Discouraged by poor sales, Ubaldini had not gone beyond the first volume. The first translation was taken up again and entrusted to the curator Quirino Principe, who revised it. The success of the work gave Rusconi success not only in sales but also in image. The publishing house then acquired the rights to all of Tolkien's works. Rusconi also published texts by Ernst Jünger, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Joseph de Maistre, Eric Voegelin, René Guénon, Jean Daniélou, Ugo Spirito, Mircea Eliade, Pavel Florensky, Marius Schneider and Mario Pomilio. In the "Narrativa Rusconi" series, Guido Ceronetti made his debut both as a narrator (Aquilegia, 1971) and as an essayist (Difesa della luna, 1973). The best seller of the series was Il quinto evangelio by Mario Pomilio (1975), which Rusconi acquired after Rizzoli refused it. In the 1970s, biographies of historical figures such as Julius Caesar by Jérôme Carcopino and Cleopatra by Ernle Bradford, children's books and manuals met with good success. Cattabiani's successor, Raffaele Crovi, published, among others, Il suicidio della rivoluzione by Augusto Del Noce, Téchne. Le radici della violenza by Emanuele Severino and some essays by Jean Guitton. In the "Narrativa Rusconi" series appeared L'ordalia by Italo Alighiero Chiusano, L'asino nero by the German Luise Rinser and the novels of Albert Cohen. Crovi also paid particular attention to popularisation and current affairs (series "Classici del pensiero", "La musica", "Pamphlet", "Popoli e civiltà"). Finally he relaunched the vein of biographies by publishing La contessa di Castiglione by Massimo Grillandi, which won the Premio Bancarella 1979. In 1981 Raffaele Crovi left the role of editorial director to Ferruccio Viviani. Viviani continued the existing series (entrusting the "Classici italiani" to Vittore Branca and the "Classici della Filosofia" to Giovanni Reale and Giuseppe Girgenti) and inaugurated new ones, focusing on photography and graphics, art and gift books on cities and villages. He did not forget biographies, for years a strong point of the publishing house, from historical to contemporary to autobiographies. Finally, in this decade the theatre of Diego Fabbri was published as well as the Works of Giovanni Arpino. In 1986 the acquisition of «Idealibri», a small publishing house specialising in manuals, took place. Meanwhile, the previous year (1985) Edilio Rusconi had left the presidency to his son Alberto. In the 1990s the magazine sector entered a crisis due to the significant reduction in advertising revenue. In 1999 Alberto Rusconi decided to sell the publishing house to the French giant Hachette. For Rusconi, the third Italian group in the large-circulation magazine sector, it was important not to advantage the competition (Mondadori and RCS). The French kept the magazines but spun off the book division and, through a triangulation, sold it to RCS Editori. Hachette in fact transferred it to the Caimi family, owners of the companies «Opportunity Book», «Stock Libri», «Idealibri», «Joy Book» and others. The latter sold the Rusconi libri catalogue to RCS while retaining ownership of the brand. In 2008 Maurizio Caimi, managing director of Opportunity S.p.A., transferred the Rusconi Libri brand to another of his companies: RL Gruppo Editoriale S.r.l. of Santarcangelo di Romagna. In 2005 82% of Opportunity was sold to Emmelibri of the Messaggerie Group; five years later it passed under the control of the new company Giunti & Messaggerie S.r.l. (2010). In 2011 RL Gruppo Editoriale S.r.l. became «Rusconi Libri S.p.A.» and in December 2013 Opportunity returned to the ownership of the Caimi family and on 1 January 2014, from the union of Evergreen S.r.l and Opportunity S.p.A., Stock Libri S.r.l. was born. The latter to this day also distributes the volumes with the Rusconi Libri S.p.A. brand. In 2020 the historic Roman publishing house Fanucci Editore joined the group. In 2022 it acquired the Jaca Book brand. The group also owns some bookshops in Italy.

• 2022

  Acquisition of the Jaca Book brand.

• 2020

  Fanucci Editore joins the group.

• 2014

  Stock Libri S.r.l. is born from the merger of Evergreen S.r.l. and Opportunity S.p.A.; it distributes Rusconi Libri volumes.

• 2011

  RL Gruppo Editoriale S.r.l. becomes Rusconi Libri S.p.A.

• 2008

  Maurizio Caimi transfers the Rusconi Libri brand to RL Gruppo Editoriale S.r.l.

• 1999

  Alberto Rusconi sells the company to Hachette; book division later transferred to RCS via the Caimi family.

• 1986

  Acquisition of Idealibri, a small publisher specialising in manuals.

• 1985

  Edilio Rusconi hands presidency to his son Alberto.

• 1981

  Ferruccio Viviani becomes editorial director.

• 1979

  La contessa di Castiglione by Massimo Grillandi wins the Premio Bancarella.

• 1978

  Raffaele Crovi succeeds Cattabiani as editorial director.

• 1975

  Mario Pomilio's Il quinto evangelio becomes a best seller for the house.

• 1971

  Guido Ceronetti debuts in the Narrativa Rusconi series with Aquilegia.

• 1969

  Book Division created; Alfredo Cattabiani becomes first editorial director.

• 1968

  Rusconi editore becomes Rusconi editore S.p.A.

• 1966

  Edilio Rusconi founds Rusconi editore after leaving Rusconi e Paolazzi.

Quality-price ratio: well-crafted, high-quality books at highly competitive prices.

• The Lord of the Rings (Italian edition)

  First Italian edition brought by Rusconi on the proposal of Elémire Zolla, with translation revised by Quirino Principe.

• Narrativa Rusconi

  Literary series where Guido Ceronetti debuted and Mario Pomilio's Il quinto evangelio was a best seller.

• Classici del pensiero

  Series dedicated to popularisation and current affairs.

• Classici italiani

  Series entrusted to Vittore Branca.

• Classici della Filosofia

  Series entrusted to Giovanni Reale and Giuseppe Girgenti.

• Children's books

  About 60% of the current catalogue is dedicated to children.

1. 1Rusconi Libri official websiterusconilibri.it
2. 2Rusconi Libri - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org
3. 3Rusconi - Wikidatawikidata.org