Here comes the first of the two-volume saga about the Rizzolis: a family parable of social reversal that spans the 20th century.

Angelo Rizzoli is an entrepreneur, printer, publisher, film producer and the “inventor” of tourism on the island of Ischia – a visionary who starts from nothing and, in just a few decades, builds an empire, vanquishing prejudice and deceit, thanks to his flair for business and people.

Milan, late 1800s. Angelo Rizzoli lives in grinding poverty with his mother and two sisters. He is a docile but very ambitious young boy who wants to escape misery. However, he cannot bear rich people and doesn’t like to have masters, so when, by chance, he meets a printing machine salesman, he starts his first printing shop, “A. Rizzoli & Co.”.
In the 1920s between Socialism and Fascism, he becomes a publisher and prints the first periodicals. These are followed by books and, finally, cinema. Angelo frequents actors, directors and producers, and starts his own production company, Cineriz.
In the 1960s, Angelo’s empire sweeps the Americas with the production of Fellini’s 8 1/2 and the opening of the Rizzoli bookshop in New York. His flair for people leads him to his most ambitious project: a new information daily with nationwide circulation, designed to speak to every reader in the country.

As the dream begins to take shape, tensions rise within the family. Ambitions, rivalries, and unspoken conflicts emerge, suggesting that the future of the empire may not be as solid as it seems. Angelo senses that the choices ahead will test everything he has built – and that the story of his legacy is far from over.

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The second installment in the Rizzoli saga explores the dynasty’s most turbulent years, at the crossroads of power, media, and politics — where the rise of power marks the beginning of its fall.

Milan, 1970s. As the city becomes a center of protest and cultural change, the sudden death of founder Angelo Rizzoli leaves the family without its guide. Power shifts to a new generation, unprepared for the worlds of politics, finance and media control, and already burdened by a famous surname and high expectations. Angelo’s unfulfilled desire to own Italy’s most prestigious newspaper turns into an obsession for Andrea, pushing him toward a risky acquisition that threatens both the company and the family’s stability. As political influence enters the publishing world, networks linked to the secret Masonic lodge known as P2 extend their reach, offering protection at a devastating price.

Luxury retreats on the French Riviera and forbidden passions turn into broken trust and debts to be paid — not only financial ones.

Caught between the dream of preserving a powerful publishing empire and a series of wrong choices driven by ambition, the quest for power turns into a dangerous game of influence and control. In this world, alliances are fragile, moral limits fade, and even the strongest empires can fall from within.

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