Bompiani

Pompiani Publishing House is one of the finest and most influential publishing houses in Italian cultural history. It was founded in Milan in 1929 by Valentino Pompeani, who believed that publishing was the art of “creating bridges” between different ideas. The house was famous for being the laboratory that housed the greatest novelists and thinkers of the twentieth century, led by the famous philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco.In Italian cultural memory, Pompeani represents a symbol of cosmopolitan openness and literary courage. Since its founding, Valentino Pompeani rejected the house as a mere commercial institution, but rather wanted it to be a “home for authors.” He had an exceptional taste that enabled him to discover international talents before they became famous, which made the house’s logo synonymous with intellectual quality.Pompeiani cannot be mentioned without mentioning Umberto Eco. Eco was not just an author for the publishing house, but was a literary consultant and editor there for decades. In 1980, Bompiani published his first novel, “The Name of the Rose,” which became a global phenomenon and was translated into dozens of languages. Eco remained loyal to the house until his death, and his vision contributed to directing publishing policy towards integrating deep philosophy with enjoyable novelistic imagination.One of Pompeiani’s most notable historical achievements is the publication of the “Pompeiani Dictionary of Authors and Works,” a massive encyclopedic work that classified world literature in a unique, systematic manner.