On this day – 31 October 1889 – Angelo Rizzoli was born in Milan, embarking on a journey from orphanage to media empire.
Angelo Rizzoli was raised in the historic orphanage of the Martinitt in Milan, a 16th-century institution originally located on Via Manzoni for abandoned boys. It was there he learned the trade of the printer’s apprentice and laid the groundwork for his future career.
Building a publishing empire
In his early 20s Rizzoli launched his own typographical business. In 1911, he opened A. Rizzoli & C. in Via Cerva, Milan, using savings to acquire a Linotype machine. Over the ensuing decades his firm expanded rapidly.
He acquired the magazine Novella in 1927 and then adding titles such as Annabella, Bertoldo, Candido, Omnibus, Oggi and L’Europeo. By 1929, Rizzoli had entered book publishing, beginning with La Storia del Risorgimento by Cesare Spellanzon, and later issuing both classic and contemporary literature. His publishing empire continued to grow throughout the postwar years, culminating in the creation of Rizzoli Editore and the construction of a vast printing complex in northeast Milan.
In 1960, Rizzoli’s company consolidated its reach across newspapers, magazines and books. After his death in 1970, the group expanded further under his son Andrea, acquiring Corriere della Sera, Italy’s most influential daily newspaper, in 1974.
That acquisition marked the birth of what became Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera (RCS). Later renamed RCS MediaGroup, it is now one of Europe’s leading multimedia publishing companies. Based in Milan, RCS owns Corriere della Sera, La Gazzetta dello Sport, and several major magazines. It also operates internationally through Rizzoli International Publications in New York and Unidad Editorial in Spain, which publishes El Mundo.
A foray into film
Rizzoli did not limit himself to print. His interest in cinema led him to found the production-distribution house Cineriz in 1956. Under his umbrella were film productions including La Dolce Vita (1960) and Otto e mezzo (1963), both collaborations with director Federico Fellini.
On the island of Ischia he played a major role in post-war tourism development and even built the Anna Rizzoli hospital in his wife’s name.
For his achievements he received the title Cavaliere del Lavoro. In 1967, he received the title of Conte by the ex-King Umberto II of Italy. He died in Milan on 24 September 1970 at the age of 81, leaving behind an estimated fortune of over 100 billion lire.
