Italian Art Publishing Shake-Up: Allemandi Acquired, Segno Goes Spanish

In late 2024, the Italian art publishing sector saw major changes. The historic publishing house Allemandi, founded in 1982 in Turin by Umberto Allemandi, was acquired by a consortium including Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondazione 1563 per l'Arte e la Cultura della Compagnia di San Paolo, and Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cuneo. The acquisition aims to create a leading platform for cultural knowledge and dissemination, focusing on titles like Il Giornale dell'Arte (founded in 1983) and the Annuali di economia dell'arte. Umberto Allemandi praised the new partners for ensuring Italy's central role in global art information. As a result, Luca Zuccalà, formerly of ArtsLife, will become editor-in-chief of Il Giornale dell'Arte starting February 2025, replacing Allemandi. The magazine already has six international editions and a digital portal launched in 2024. Meanwhile, the magazine Segno, founded in 1976 in Pescara by Umberto Sala and Lucia Spadano, launched Segno.es on December 13, 2024, a Spanish-language platform covering contemporary art in Spain. The project, long envisioned by Spadano (who died in February 2024), was made possible with support from Adema University of Fine Arts in Palma de Mallorca and its president Diego Gonzalez Carrasco. Segno.es features original content by Spanish authors, coordinated by Carla Maizon and Lisa D'Emidio, and covers exhibitions, events, and fairs from a Spanish perspective.