Treccani acquires Lattes and focuses on the education sector
The acquisition of the Piedmont-based publisher has been completed; the company will hold a 60% stake, with the remaining 40% held by Stamperia Artistica Nazionale. Simone Silvi is the chairman and Alberto Ansaldi is the CEO.
Treccani has officially closed the Lattes case and is stepping up its efforts in the educational publishing sector. The parties had been working on the deal for a year and a half. Prior to that, as verified by documents and reported by Il Sole 24 Ore, Lattes had been in negotiations with Mondadori in the first half of 2024.
The deal, which was finalised over the weekend according to Il Sole 24 Ore, brings the historic Turin-based publishing house, founded in 1893, into a new ownership structure in which the Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Italiana will hold 60% and Stamperia Artistica Nazionale the remaining 40%. The Lattes family is stepping down.
The governance structure reflects the new organisation. Simone Silvi, a manager in the Treccani division, will take the chair, whilst the role of chief executive officer will be entrusted to Alberto Ansaldi. For Treccani, this is not an isolated move, but another step in strengthening its position in education, one of the most dynamic sectors of the Italian publishing industry, as demonstrated most recently by Mondadori’s acquisition of Hoepli’s educational division.
Lattes brings with it a historic brand and a recognised presence in lower secondary education. In 2024, it had achieved a production value of €7.6 million, but the accounts had necessitated a restructuring prior to the change of control. Negotiations had, to some extent, stalled over guarantees relating to the coverage of exposure to banks. The closing brings that phase to an end and allows us to focus on the industrial side.
Treccani’s decision should be viewed within the context of the education market which – according to AIE data cited in Mondadori’s 2025 annual report – sees the Segrate-based group in first place with 32.5%, followed by Zanichelli with 25.6%, Sanoma with 13.1% and La Scuola with 8%, whilst the remaining 20.8% was shared among other publishers. It is within this sector that Treccani is seeking to increase its influence and visibility, having already acquired a 100% stake in Treccani Scuola and following its alliance with Feltrinelli Scuola.
