End of an era in Milan: Historic Hoepli publishing house and bookstore goes into liquidation

The shareholders' meeting of the famous Milanese publishing house and bookstore Hoepli made the final decision on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, to formally place the entire enterprise into liquidation. This step marks a dramatic end to the activities of an institution that for over a century and a half has been an inseparable part of the literary landscape of northern Italy. The direct cause of such a drastic move turned out to be mounting financial problems, which led to serious losses being reported in the company's balance sheet. The situation was further complicated by deep and irreconcilable internal divisions among the shareholders themselves, which ultimately blocked any possibility of developing an effective rescue plan. The enterprise, combining the functions of a prestigious publisher with running one of the largest bookstores, did not survive the escalating management crisis. The decision to liquidate closes a certain era in the history of the Italian book market, causing great excitement among readers and residents of the capital of Lombardy.

The news of the planned closure provoked an immediate and extremely emotional reaction from the employed staff, who organized a spontaneous protest. In response to these dramatic reports, the company's employees announced a strike on March 10, gathering in large numbers in front of the company's main headquarters in central Milan. The main slogan of the protesters, chanted during the picket and written on banners, became the Italian words 'la cultura non si svende,' meaning that culture is absolutely not a commodity for sale. The booksellers and editors gathered in front of the building demanded immediate talks aimed at protecting jobs and preserving the continuity of this esteemed institution. The strikers clearly emphasized that the intellectual and social legacy built by generations should not be destroyed solely due to short-sighted financial calculations and personal conflicts in the board.

The situation surrounding the failing enterprise quickly attracted the attention of the highest local authorities, including Milan's mayor himself, Giuseppe Sala. The city's mayor spoke out in the public debate, unequivocally describing the threatened institution as the priceless heritage of the entire metropolis. „Libreria Hoepli patrimonio di Milano, ci sia responsabilità” (Hoepli bookstore is Milan's heritage, there must be responsibility) — Giuseppe Sala via ANSA The politician appealed to all involved parties to demonstrate maximum responsibility, which could help save the institution from completely disappearing from the city's map. The company was founded in 1870 and during exactly 156 years of its uninterrupted operation had a huge impact on the development of Italian science, technology, and literature. As a publisher, it specialized in publishing diverse materials, while its flagship bookstore in Milan was considered one of the most important places of its kind. The collapse of such a historic entity would be an irreparable loss for the cultural identity of the entire region.

In the face of these unprecedented events, it is not yet clear exactly how the complicated liquidation process will proceed or what fate ultimately awaits the publishing house's enormous book collections. The shareholders' meeting, by passing Tuesday's resolution, initiated formal legal procedures that inevitably lead to the cessation of all operational activity of this esteemed company. 156 (lat) — uninterrupted history of the publishing house and bookstore's operation The cessation of operations after over a century and a half of existence constitutes a brutal clash of long-standing tradition with the harsh realities of the modern market and the lack of agreement at the highest ownership levels. The residents of Milan, for whom the multi-story bookstore building was a constant point of reference, are receiving the information about the reported losses in the financial balance sheets with great disbelief. The future of the employees, who are determinedly fighting to preserve their positions under slogans of defending culture, remains at this moment completely uncertain and dependent on the decisions of the appointed liquidators.