Edizioni Pulcinoelefante

Edizioni Pulcinoelefante is an Italian independent publishing house founded in 1982 by Alberto Casiraghi in Osnago, Lombardy. It began as a cultural association and is run solely by its founder, who produces small, hand-printed plaquettes using movable type on fine Hahnemühle paper from Germany. Each publication typically contains a single text—an aphorism or short poem—accompanied by original engravings or drawings by artists. Print runs are always under 40 numbered copies and are not commercially distributed. The catalogue features hundreds of titles annually and includes works by renowned authors such as Allen Ginsberg, Ezra Pound, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Franz Kafka, Samuel Beckett, Jean Cocteau, Wisława Szymborska, and Arturo Schwarz, as well as Italian poets and aphorists like Alda Merini, Gillo Dorfles, Dario Bellezza, Giorgio Manganelli, Maurizio Cucchi, Lillo Gullo, Franco Loi, Bruno Munari, and Vivian Lamarque. Artists who have contributed include Maurizio Cattelan, Enrico Baj, Emilio Tadini, Claudio Parmiggiani, Ugo Nespolo, and others. A notable collaboration began in 1992 with poet Alda Merini, resulting in over 700 booklets, many illustrated by Casiraghi. The publishing house has been the subject of exhibitions at institutions such as the Panizzi Library in Reggio Emilia (2002), the Italian Cultural Institute in New York and Rutgers University (2005), Palazzo di Re Enzo e del Podestà in Bologna (2013), the National Library in Lisbon (2014), and various venues in Milan. In 2020, the Municipality of Milan purchased 10,441 unique books printed up to that time for €150,000, destined for the Casa-museo Boschi Di Stefano. The history of the publisher and its founder is also documented in Silvio Soldini's 2016 film 'Il fiume ha sempre ragione'. Pulcinoelefante remains a private, active entity, operating as a one-man operation that embodies a slow, artisanal approach to publishing, with its output held in permanent collections and museums.

Edizioni Pulcinoelefante was founded in 1982 in Osnago, Lombardy, by Alberto Casiraghi, initially as a cultural association. From the outset, Casiraghi adopted an artisanal approach, printing by hand with movable type on high-quality Hahnemühle paper from Germany. The publishing house operates without a regular schedule, driven instead by the founder's encounters and desires with authors. It produces hundreds of small plaquettes each year, each containing a single text—an aphorism or short poem—accompanied by original engravings or drawings by artists. Print runs are always under 40 numbered copies and are not commercially distributed. The catalogue includes works by a wide range of authors, from unknown poets to celebrated figures such as Allen Ginsberg, Ezra Pound, Gregory Corso, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Franz Kafka, Samuel Beckett, Jean Cocteau, Wisława Szymborska, and Arturo Schwarz. Italian poets and aphorists frequently featured include Alda Merini, Gillo Dorfles, Dario Bellezza, Giorgio Manganelli, Maurizio Cucchi, Lillo Gullo, Franco Loi, Bruno Munari, and Vivian Lamarque. Artists who have contributed include Maurizio Cattelan, Vittorio Ghielmi, Enrico Baj, Emilio Tadini, Claudio Parmiggiani, Ugo Nespolo, Flora Graiff, Giuliano Grittini, Ugo Carrega, Gianni Bertini, Sergio Dangelo, Luciano Caruso, and Enzo Cucchi. A significant collaboration began in 1992 when Casiraghi met poet Alda Merini; together they produced over 700 booklets, many illustrated by Casiraghi. The publisher's history and that of its founder, along with art bookbinder Josef Weiss, are recounted in Silvio Soldini's 2016 documentary film 'Il fiume ha sempre ragione'. In 2020, the Municipality of Milan purchased 10,441 unique books printed up to that time for €150,000, destined for the Casa-museo Boschi Di Stefano. The publishing house has been the subject of numerous exhibitions, including at the Panizzi Library in Reggio Emilia (2002), the Italian Cultural Institute in New York and Rutgers University (2005), Palazzo di Re Enzo e del Podestà in Bologna (2013), the National Library in Lisbon (2014), and various venues in Milan. Its editions are held in permanent collections, such as that of Andrea Kerbaker. Pulcinoelefante continues to operate as a one-man enterprise, embodying a slow, artisanal approach to publishing.

• 2020

  Milan Municipality acquires 10,441 unique books for €150,000.

• 2016

  Documentary 'Il fiume ha sempre ragione' by Silvio Soldini released.

• 2014

  Exhibition at the National Library in Lisbon and at Spazio Ostrakon in Milan.

• 2013

  Exhibition at Palazzo di Re Enzo e del Podestà in Bologna and at Casa dei libri in Milan.

• 2005

  Exhibition at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York and Rutgers University.

• 2002

  Exhibition at the Panizzi Library in Reggio Emilia.

• 1992

  Casiraghi meets poet Alda Merini; collaboration produces over 700 booklets.

• 1982

  Founded as a cultural association in Osnago by Alberto Casiraghi.

Artisanal, slow publishing; limited editions under 40 copies, not for sale, aimed at collectors and bibliophiles.

• Plaquettes with aphorisms or short poems

  Hand-printed on Hahnemühle paper with movable type, accompanied by original engravings or drawings, limited to under 40 numbered copies.

• Alda Merini booklets

  Over 700 booklets resulting from the collaboration between Casiraghi and poet Alda Merini, many illustrated by Casiraghi.

1. 1EDIZIONI PULCINOELEFANTEedizionipulcinoelefante.tumblr.com
2. 2Pulcinoelefante - Wikipediait.wikipedia.org
3. 3Edizioni pulcinoelefante - Wikidatawikidata.org