Giangiacomo Feltrinelli navigated the divide between immense inherited wealth and militant anti-capitalism, shaping Italian letters before shifting toward radical political action. Born in 1926 into a family managing timber and financial empires, he eventually rejected his privileged origins to become a publisher who defied both Soviet censorship and Italian social norms during the tumultuous Years of Lead.
Inheritance and Ideology
Born in Milan, Feltrinelli became heir to a vast industrial fortune following the death of his father, Carlo, in 1935. By age 21, he held control over major assets, including Banca Unione and various timber interests. Despite this standing, wartime observations of social inequality led him to align with the Italian Communist Party (PCI). He fought against Fascist forces in the Combat Group Legnano, setting a pattern of political engagement that would eventually distance him from his own aristocratic background.
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Take the IQ test →Establishment of a Publishing Empire
In 1954, he founded Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore in Milan. His inaugural title was the autobiography of Jawaharlal Nehru. He expanded his reach by establishing a bookstore chain that grew to become the largest in Italy. While his businesses faced significant financial losses due to his commitment to affordable pricing for the working class, he remained a key influence in the literary market, promoting avant-garde authors and distributing works previously restricted by Italian obscenity laws.
The Pasternak Affair
In 1956, Feltrinelli obtained the manuscript of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago. Following advice that suppression would be a cultural crime, he published the novel despite Soviet attempts to halt its release. The book became a global success, and the subsequent film rights sale to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer generated significant capital. This defiance of Soviet pressure created friction with the PCI, contributing to his departure from the party in 1957.
Literary Contributions and Final Years
Feltrinelli continued to champion overlooked manuscripts, most notably Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard, a work rejected by other publishers that became a defining text of 20th-century Italian literature. By the 1960s, his marriage to Inge Schönthal and the growth of his publishing house coincided with his increasing focus on clandestine radical activism. He died in 1972 in Segrate at the age of 46 under mysterious circumstances.
Fast facts
- Born: 1926, Milan
- Died: 1972, Segrate
- First published book: Autobiography of Jawaharlal Nehru
- Publishing company founded: 1954
- Notable publication: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
- Notable publication: The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
- Spouse: Inge Schönthal
Questions readers ask
Why did Feltrinelli leave the Italian Communist Party?
He left the party in 1957 following criticism of his decision to publish Doctor Zhivago and further departed in 1958 in solidarity with revisionist critiques regarding the Hungarian Uprising.
What happened to the publishing house after his death?
The publishing house continued under the leadership of his wife, Inge Schönthal, and his son, Carlo.
