Giovanni Laterza e Benedetto Croce. Libertà di stampa e di pensiero «laggiù dove fiorivano i limoni»

Abstract

This article examines the correspondence between Giovanni Laterza and Benedetto Croce, alongside selected works published in the 1930s, in order to explore the distinctive entrepreneurial and cultural profile of Gius. Laterza & Figli. The publishing house is shown to have been characterized by a firm rejection of censorship and a consistent commitment to the principles of freedom of the press and thought, not only during the Fascist regime but also after the death of its founder. Such continuity was ensured by Vito and Franco Laterza, who successfully navigated the crisis of Crocean hegemony through a forward-looking and modern understanding of the publisher’s role in the contemporary world.