Franco Maria Ricci, publisher of FMR magazine, dies at 82

Franco Maria Ricci, an esteemed Italian publisher and collector, passed away at the age of 82 in Fontanellato, Parma. He was born in 1937 in Parma and earned a degree in Geology before venturing into graphic design and publishing in 1963. His inaugural work was an anastatic reprint of Giambattista Bodoni's Manuale Tipografico. While he crafted logos and advertisements for various companies, his artistic vision led him to create numerous art books and series, including I Segni dell'Uomo and Grand Tour. Notably, he published the acclaimed magazine FMR from 1982 to 2004, which Federico Fellini referred to as "the black pearl of world publishing." Additionally, he published Luigi Serafini's Codex Seraphinianus in 1981 and established the Labirinto della Masone, one of the largest labyrinths globally, in 2015. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini expressed his sorrow, recognizing Ricci's remarkable intellect and sensitivity.