Corriere della Sera

**Corriere della Sera** (pronounced [korˈrjɛːre della ˈseːra], meaning "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper based in Milan. As of May 2023, its average circulation stood at 246,278 copies. First published on 5 March 1876, it ranks among Italy’s oldest newspapers and is the country’s most widely read. Its masthead has remained unchanged since the very first edition. The paper is regarded as Italy’s national newspaper of record and is considered a major daily, alongside *la Repubblica*, *La Stampa*, *Il Sole 24 Ore*, and *Il Messaggero*. Reflecting the views of the moderate bourgeoisie, it has generally been seen as centre-right-leaning, with a history of hosting liberal and democratic Catholic perspectives.

The paper was first issued on Sunday, 5 March 1876. In 1899, it launched a weekly illustrated supplement, *La Domenica del Corriere* ("Sunday of the Courier"). Under editor and co-owner Luigi Albertini, from 1900 to 1925, circulation surpassed one million copies, and the paper became the most influential in Italy. Albertini strongly opposed socialism, clericalism, and Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti’s willingness to compromise with those forces. His opposition to the fascist regime led the other co-owners to remove him in 1925. The newspaper introduced comics to Italy in 1908 through a children’s supplement, *Corriere dei Piccoli* ("Courier of the Little Ones").

Its headquarters have been in the same buildings on Via Solferino since the early 20th century, earning it the nickname "the Via Solferino newspaper." Originally an evening paper, during the Fascist era it funded the Mussolini Prize, awarded to writers including Ada Negri and Emilio Cecchi. In May 1945, anti-fascist Mario Borsa became editor-in-chief; the paper was relaunched the following year as *Il Nuovo Corriere della Sera* to distance itself from its fascist past, a name it kept until 1959. Borsa was dismissed in August 1946 due to his political leanings and replaced by right-wing journalist Guglielmo Emanuel, who served until 1952.

In the 1950s, the paper acted as the voice of Italy’s conservative establishment, strongly anti-communist and pro-NATO, shaping the views of the upper and middle classes. The Crespi family, then owners, sold a stake to RCS MediaGroup in the 1960s, and the paper was listed on the Italian stock exchange. Major shareholders included Mediobanca, the Fiat group, and other large industrial and financial groups. By 1974, RCS MediaGroup held a majority stake.

The early 1980s saw editor Alberto Cavallari at the helm. In 1981, the paper became entangled in the Propaganda Due scandal when it emerged that editor Franco Di Bella and former owner Angelo Rizzoli were members of the secret Masonic lodge. In September 1987, it launched *Sette*, Italy’s first weekly magazine supplement. Ugo Stille served as editor-in-chief from 1987 to 1992. Circulation in 1988 was 715,000 copies, making it Italy’s second most-read newspaper. A Saturday supplement, *IO Donna*, debuted in 1996. By 1997, it was the best-selling Italian newspaper with 687,000 copies.

Circulation stood at 715,000 in 2001, falling to 681,000 in 2002. In 2003, editor Ferruccio de Bortoli resigned; journalists and opposition politicians attributed this to the paper’s criticism of Silvio Berlusconi. In 2004, it launched an online English section covering Italian current affairs and culture, and that year it was again the best-selling newspaper, with 677,542 copies. In May 2007, its website ranked 15th among Italy’s top 30 brands, with over 4 million unique visitors, trailing only *la Repubblica* among dailies; print sales that month were about 594,000 copies. Circulation in December 2007 was 662,253 copies; excluding digital copies, December 2013 circulation was 99,145. By 2015, it had the country’s highest circulation at roughly 308,000 copies. Its online version attracted over 2.4 million daily readers in July 2019 and was the 13th most visited website in Italy in 2011.

In 2004, the paper was categorized as an "institution daily," alongside *la Repubblica*, as opposed to "agenda dailies" like *Il Sole 24 Ore* or "activist dailies" like *Il Manifesto*. On 24 September 2014, it switched from broadsheet to the Berliner format. On 7 March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it leaked a draft decree that would have locked down several northern provinces, sparking a panic exodus to the south and contributing to the nationwide lockdown.