Angelo Rizzoli, OML (; 31 October 1889 – 24 September 1970) was an Italian publisher and film producer.

Early life

Rizzoli was born in Milan on 31 October 1889. Orphaned at a young age and raised in poverty, he rose to prosperity. He apprenticed in the printer trade and later became an entrepreneur in his twenties.

Career

In 1927, Rizzoli founded the company ''A. Rizzoli & Co.'' (later RCS MediaGroup). In 1927 Rizzoli acquired ''

Novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

'' magazine, a bi-weekly primarily for women that reached a circulation of 130,000 copies, from '' Mondadori'' an independent publisher who specialized in books and magazines. After his initial purchase, he added several new publications including ''

Annabella Annabella, Anabella, or Anabela is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include: *Annabella of Scotland (c. 1433–1509), daughter of King James I *Annabella (actress) (1907–1996), stage name of French actress Suzanne Georgette C ...

'', '' Bertoldo'', '' Candido'', ''

Omnibus Omnibus may refer to: Film and television * ''Omnibus'' (film) * Omnibus (broadcast), a compilation of Radio or TV episodes * ''Omnibus'' (UK TV series), an arts-based documentary programme * ''Omnibus'' (U.S. TV series), an educational progr ...

'', and ''Oggi e L'Europeo''. In 1949 he began publishing books including both classics and popular novels. He purchased ''Cartiera di Lama di Reno'' in 1954, the foundation for what would become an Italian publishing empire. His operations were moved in 1960 to a complex on Via Civitavecchia in Milan. He was amongst the first producers of daily newspapers within the relatively newly established nation of Italy. Active in film, he had control of the French company Francinex with which he co-produced

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...

's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and '' 8½'' (1963), as well as French films such as '' Une Parisienne'' (1957). In 1964 Rizzoli opened the original Rizzoli International Bookstore in New York City at

712 Fifth Avenue 712 Fifth Avenue is a skyscraper at 56th Street and Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Constructed from 1987 to 1990, it was designed by SLCE Architects and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. The skyscraper's base ...

, designed by architect Ferdinand Gottlieb. The bookstore was featured in various Hollywood films, most notably, Woody Allen's '' Manhattan'' and '' Falling in Love'' with

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

and Meryl Streep. He also produced the controversial documentary film ''

Africa Addio ''Africa Addio'' (also known as ''Africa: Blood and Guts'' in the United States and ''Farewell Africa'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1966 Italian mondo documentary film co-directed, co-edited and co-written by Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Pro ...

''. A museum about Rizzoli's life and career is located at Villa Arbusto within the guest house of that place, at Lacco Ameno. Within this are held 500 photographic-records or evidence of his activities taken on-set during production. The museum also holds the Pithekoussai Archaeological Museum.

Personal life

Rizzoli married Anna Marzorati with whom he had two children, Andrea and Giuseppina. Rizzoli died aged 81 years of age.

Selected filmography

* ''

Red Roses Red Roses ( cy, Rhos-goch, "red moor") is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Situated in south-west Carmarthenshire, the village forms part of the Eglwyscummin community, and with Ciffig and Marros, forms part of the Laugharne Township e ...

'' (1940) * ''

We're Dancing on the Rainbow ''We're Dancing on the Rainbow'' (german: Wir tanzen auf dem Regenbogen, it, Senza veli) is a 1952 German-Italian musical melodrama film directed by Carmine Gallone and Arthur Maria Rabenalt and starring Inge Egger, Isa Barzizza and Karl Schön ...

'' (1952) * '' The Two Orphans'' (1954) * '' Madame Butterfly'' (1954) * ''

Madame du Barry Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (19 August 1743 – 8 December 1793) was the last ''maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed, by guillotine, during the French Revolution due to accounts of treason—particularly being ...

'' (1954) * '' Paris, Palace Hotel'' (1956) * '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) * '' All the Gold in the World'' (1961) * '' 8½'' (1963)

References

External links

*
''Le Grandi Famiglie: I Rizzoli''
by Mariateresa Truncellito {{DEFAULTSORT:Rizzoli, Angelo 1889 births 1970 deaths Italian film producers Newspaper chain founders

Angelo Angelo is an Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger". People People with the given name *Angelo Accattino (born 1966), Italian prelate of the Catholic Church *Angelo Acciaioli (bishop) (1298–1357), Italian Rom ...

Film people from Milan David di Donatello winners Nastro d'Argento winners Italian publishers (people) Italian book publishers (people) Italian magazine founders