Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo

What Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo does

Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo is the Italian publishing arm of the Società San Paolo (Paolini), a Catholic religious congregation founded in 1914 by Beato Giacomo Alberione. The group operates as a coordinated consortium of 14 wholly-owned entities led by Editoriale San Paolo SRL, with administrative headquarters in Milan (Via Giotto 36) and legal seat in Alba (Piazza San Paolo 14). It publishes Catholic periodicals (Famiglia Cristiana, Credere, Jesus, Il Giornalino, La Domenica, among others), books under Edizioni San Paolo, and operates digital, audio, and television properties including San Paolo Digital, Telenova, Bibleworld, and the Il Viandante della Speranza podcast. Distribution spans company-owned Librerie San Paolo bookstores, the Italian newsstand/edicola network, e-commerce storefronts (sanpaolostore.it, edicolasanpaolo.it), and St. Pauls International for overseas distribution.

The business model combines recurring subscription revenue from periodicals and digital editions with one-time book sales at unit prices between roughly €16 and €25, complemented by distribution, retail, and multimedia operations. Marketing is executed through Catholic parish and diocese networks, Salone del Libro di Torino and other book fairs, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and event-based activations including the Vatican "Comunicare la Speranza" exhibition and Jubilee 2025 multimedia projects. The customer base is fragmented across individual Catholic readers, Italian families, and children, with non-profit research and social impact activity through CISF (Centro Internazionale Studi Famiglia) and Associazione Don Zilli ONLUS. Leadership is exclusively clergy of the Paolini congregation, including Don Stefano Stimamiglio (CEO, appointed February 2025), Don Roberto Ponti (Chairman), Don Giuseppe Musardo (Director General), and Don Franco Soliman (CFO); revenue is not publicly disclosed and the group remains privately held.

Name

Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo

Legal name

Editoriale San Paolo SRL

Website

https://gruppoeditorialesanpaolo.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo is the Italian Catholic publishing arm of the Società San Paolo (Paolini), producing periodicals (Famiglia Cristiana, Credere, Il Giornalino), books via Edizioni San Paolo, and digital/multimedia content for Italian Catholic families, children, and faith communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Religious Fiction & Inspirational Literature Publishing (MPAJAHAF), Specialty & Niche Channel Distribution (Religious, Comic Shops, Specialty Retail) (MPAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Catholic publishing
• Religious periodicals
• Family magazines
• Children's publishing
• Religious book publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Alba

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Periodicals and Magazine Subscriptions: Sale of magazine subscriptions including Famiglia Cristiana, Credere, Jesus, Il Giornalino and other Catholic publications through print and digital formats
2. Book Sales: Sale of books and publications through San Paolo bookstores, general bookstores, and e-commerce platforms. New releases include titles by authors such as Paolo Curtaz, Nando dalla Chiesa, Sammy Basso biography, and spiritual/religious works
3. Digital Content and Media: Revenue from digital platforms including podcasts (Il Viandante della Speranza), websites, and multimedia content under brands such as San Paolo Digital and Telenova television

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo is a Catholic publishing house that produces and distributes periodicals (Famiglia Cristiana, Credere, Jesus, Il Giornalino, Gbaby and others), books and spiritual works via Edizioni San Paolo, digital content through San Paolo Digital and the Bibleworld platform, multimedia via the Telenova television channel and podcasts such as 'Il Viandante della Speranza'. It sells directly to Italian Catholic families, individual readers, parishes and dioceses through its own Librerie San Paolo bookstores, newsstands, e-commerce sites and digital subscriptions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Famiglia Cristiana: Leading Catholic weekly magazine published by the group
• Il Giornalino
• Credere
• Jesus
• San Paolo Store
• Telenova
• Auditorium San Paolo
• Bibleworld

Products and services

• Famiglia Cristiana Italy's leading Catholic weekly magazine covering family life, current affairs through a Catholic lens, religious formation and family-focused content for Italian Catholic households. Available in print and digital edition.
• Il Giornalino Catholic magazine for children and young readers providing age-appropriate religious education, stories and educational content. Celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024.
• Credere Catholic weekly magazine centered on faith, spirituality and formation for adult readers.
• Jesus Catholic magazine dedicated to Jesus and Christian life, covering Scripture, spirituality and devotional reading.
• I Love English Junior Educational magazine helping Italian children and young readers learn English.
• Gbaby Magazine aimed at mothers with young children, blending parenting, family and Catholic content.
• Edizioni San Paolo Books Book publishing program by Edizioni San Paolo covering religious and spiritual works, biographies, and family-focused titles authored by leading Catholic voices, with prices ranging roughly €16–€28 depending on page count and format.
• Telenova Television channel and multimedia production offering Catholic and family-oriented audiovisual content.
• Il Viandante della Speranza Podcast Multimedia podcast for the Credere brand and Jubilee 2025, featuring interviews with personalities who transformed difficult situations into good, distributed via Spotify, Spreaker, Apple Podcast and Amazon Music.
• San Paolo Store Online and physical retail bookstore offering San Paolo's books, periodicals and merchandise through San Paolo stores and the sanpaolostore.it e-commerce site.
• Bibleworld Digital platform offering biblical content and resources for study, formation and pastoral use.
• CISF Family Report (Rapporto Famiglia) Annual research report by the Centro Internazionale Studi Famiglia (CISF) on Italian family demographics, challenges and well-being. CISF is a research center within Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025 under Director Francesco Belletti.
• Edicola San Paolo (Digital Newsstand) Digital newsstand edicolasanpaolo.it providing digital subscriptions and single-issue purchases of San Paolo periodicals and digital content.
• Auditorium San Paolo Cultural venue and event space hosting presentations, author events and conferences such as the CAM - Cultures and Mission in Turin where the CISF Family Report was presented.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Agostiniani (Ordine degli Agostiniani / Augustinians)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2025Strategic editorial alliance between Paolini and Agostiniani religious families for shared evangelization mission. Includes joint publications, collaboration on Fondazione Agostiniani nel mondo projects, and support for projects in developing countries. The partnership connects the spiritual legacy of St. Augustine (converted through Paul's letters) with the Paolini mission of Don Giacomo Alberione. Pope Leone XIV, an Augustinian, was previously involved with the Fondazione Agostiniani nel mondo.
• BambinisenzasbarrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for the 'Parole di speranza' prison awareness project. Bambinisenzasbarre has a 20-year mission operating in 9 Italian regions and 20 European countries with multidisciplinary teams supporting family relationships inside and outside prisons. The association focuses on protecting children in relation to prison institutions and detained parents.
• CISF (Centro Internazionale Studi Famiglia)coreOthersCISF is a research center within Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo that produces the annual Family Report on Italian families. The center collaborates with Dioceses, Catholic organizations, and publishes research on family demographics, challenges, and well-being. Francesco Belletti serves as CISF Director. CISF celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025.
• Nuova CollaborazioneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association of domestic employers founded in Turin in 1969. Collaborates with CISF on events regarding family care work and 'sandwich generation' challenges. Partnership focused on highlighting domestic work as a fundamental societal value.
• La Voce e il Tempo (Diocesan Weekly)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiocesan weekly newspaper of Turin partnering with CISF for Family Report 2025 presentation. Part of collaboration with Diocesi di Torino for family-focused events and research dissemination.
• Associazione Don Giuseppe ZilliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerONLUS organization part of Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo. Future collaboration planned with Agostiniani partnership for specific international projects across various continents.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Edizioni San Clemente: Italian Catholic publisher specialized in religious, theological, and spiritual books. Comparable as a smaller Catholic-focused publisher competing for the same Italian parish and bookstore channels.
• Ancora Editrice: Milan-based Catholic publisher founded in 1941, producing books on spirituality, theology, and current affairs from a Catholic perspective. Comparable in mission, geographic base, and audience to Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo.
• Pauline Books & Media: Publishing arm of the Daughters of St Paul, the US sister congregation to Società San Paolo (the same Paoline family). Operates bookstores and publishes Catholic books, periodicals, and multimedia in the US market.
• Edizioni Piemme: Italian publisher historically focused on Catholic and children's books (including Pio Pico series), now part of broader publishing groups. Direct competitor in Italian Catholic children's and family publishing.
• Edizioni Dehoniane Bologna (EDB): Leading Italian Catholic publishing house operated by the Dehonian Fathers, publishing religious books, theology, and pastoral resources. Direct competitor in the Italian Catholic book and educational publishing space.
• Libreria Editrice Vaticana: The Vatican's official publishing house publishes Catholic books, liturgical texts, and the L'Osservatore Romano. Directly comparable as an institutional Catholic publisher with overlapping editorial mission and audience.

Regional players

• Catholic Answers Press: US-based Catholic apologetics and publishing organization producing books, periodicals, and multimedia content. Operates in the same Catholic publishing category but serves the English-speaking market rather than Italy.

Broad incumbents

• RCS MediaGroup: Italian media group publishing Corriere della Sera and leading magazines. Broad incumbent with significant newsstand and subscription overlap with Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo.
• Mondadori Group: Italy's largest trade book and magazine publisher, with extensive periodicals and books portfolio. Broad incumbent competing for general bookstore shelf space and newsstand presence.
• De Agostini Publishing: Italian publishing and media group with diverse book, magazine, and digital operations. Broad incumbent with comparable Catholic and family-oriented titles (e.g., Famiglia Cristiana-adjacent segments).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/famigliacristiana
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCz6Tv9_F3bK6gDhF6h6iN5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/FamigliaCristiana
• Instagraminstagram.com/famigliacristiana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gruppoeditorialesanpaolo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gruppo Editoriale San Paolo