Feltrinelli acquires 40% stake in art publisher Marsilio

The Feltrinelli Group has purchased a 40% stake in Marsilio, a Venetian publishing house renowned for its art catalogs, including all Biennale di Venezia publications. The acquisition, announced in October 2017, is part of a strategic plan that will see Feltrinelli increase its share to 55% within two years. Marsilio, founded in Padua in 1961 by intellectuals including Toni Negri, was named after 14th-century jurist Marsilio da Padova. It was later owned by the de Michelis brothers, linked to the Italian Socialist Party, and suffered after the Tangentopoli scandal. Subsequent owners included Rizzoli (2000) and Mondadori (2016), but it returned to the de Michelis family after antitrust concerns. Under the deal, Marsilio retains its management and CEO Luca de Michelis, and both houses remain independent in editorial choices. Feltrinelli gains access to Marsilio's catalog of bestsellers like Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, prestigious art catalogs, illustrated books, and cultural guides, as well as monographs on artists from Raphael to Basquiat. Marsilio benefits from Feltrinelli's distribution network, already Italy's largest through its agreement with Messaggerie Italiane.