Founded in 1927 by entrepreneur Angelo Rizzoli, A. Rizzoli and Co. started in the press industry by buying out four national magazines, and later entering the publishing industry. In 1952 the company was renamed Rizzoli Editore. Following the death of Roberto Calvi in 1982 its directors applied for bankruptcy protection and the company was greatly downsized. Two years later Gemina S.p.A., an Italian holding company acquired a controlling interest, and over the next two decades Rizzoli was restructured several times, with various divisions being established.
Rizzoli-Corriere della Sera was separated from Gemina's other industrial activities in 1997, and in 2000 the company acquired French publishing house Editions Flammarion. Since then several other publishing houses and media organisations have been acquired by the company, which in 2003 was renamed RCS MediaGroup.
