Sansoni is an Italian

publisher Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

founded in

1873 Events January * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat the Unit ...

by Giulio Cesare Sansoni, located in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

History

Until the

1930s File:1930s decade montage.png, From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Owens Thompson, Florence Thompson shows the effects of the Great Depression; due to extreme drought conditions, farms across the south-central Uni ...

, Sansoni devoted almost all its attention to literature, with its works mostly aimed at schools and universities. Some of its most important collections are "Raccolta di opere inedite o rare di ogni secolo della letteratura italiana" (started in 1880), "Biblioteca scolastica di classici italiani (started in 1885), "Collezione di classici greci" (started in 1887), "Biblioteca critica della letteratura italiana" (started in 1895). In 1932 Sansoni was bought by

Giovanni Gentile Giovanni Gentile ( , ; 30 May 1875 – 15 April 1944) was an Italian pedagogue, philosopher, and politician. He, alongside Benedetto Croce, was one of the major exponents of Italian idealism in Italian philosophy, and also devised his own sys ...

who extended its scope into philosophy and history. He started some new magazines including the second series of "Giornale critico della filosofia italiana", "Critica d'arte" (directed by

Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli (19 February 1900 – 17 January 1975) was an Italian Archaeology, archaeologist and Art history, art historian. Biography Bianchi Bandinelli was born in Siena to Mario Bianchi Bandinelli (1859–1930) and Margheri ...

, Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti and

Roberto Longhi Roberto Longhi (28 December 1890 – 3 June 1970) was an Italian academic, art historian, and curator. The main subjects of his studies were the painters Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca. Early life and career Longhi was born in December 1 ...

), " Lingua nostra" (directed by

Bruno Migliorini Bruno Migliorini (; 19 November 1896 – 18 June 1975) was an Italian linguist and philologist. He was the author of one of the first scientific histories of Italian language and was president of the Accademia della Crusca. Biography Migliori ...

Giacomo Devoto Giacomo Devoto (19 July 1897 – 25 December 1974) was an Italian historical linguist and one of the greatest exponents of the twentieth century of the discipline. He was born in Genoa and died in Florence. Biography He was the son of clinician a ...

). After the end of World War II and the assassination of Gentile in 1944, the publisher was managed by his son Federico. He opened the way to encyclopedias (including Enciclopedia cattolica and Enciclopedia dello spettacolo) and dictionaries. In 1976 Federico Gentile sold the company to Rizzoli and on the same year he founded the publishing house Le Lettere (still located in Florence). Le Lettere acquired part of the titles of Sansoni, including Giovanni Gentile's ''Opera Omnia''. Sansoni became later one of the many trademarks of

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In ...

. Sansoni's archives are in Archivio di Stato di Firenze, which is restoring and inventorying them after the

flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...

of 1966.

Bibliography

* Marino Parenti, ''G.C. Sansoni: Editore in Firenze'', Landi, Firenze, 1956 * Gianfranco Pedullà, ''Il mercato delle idee: Giovanni Gentile e la Casa editrice Sansoni'', Il Mulino, Bologna, 1986 * ''Testimonianze per un centenario'', Sansoni, Firenze, 1974 * ''Sansoni, 1873-1968'', Officine Grafiche Firenze, Firenze, 1968 (exhibition organized by Comitato della Loggia Rucellai)

References

External links

* * * Giannetto Avanzi,
Sansoni
', in ''

Enciclopedia Italiana Institute Giovanni Treccani for the publication of the Italian Encyclopedia (), also known as Treccani Institute or simply Treccani, is a cultural institution of national interest, active in the publishing field, founded by Giovanni Treccani ...

'' (1936) *
Sansoni
', in Treccani online {{Authority control Publishing companies of Italy Companies established in 1873