Over 12,000 visitors, 176 publishing houses, more than 200 events and over 300 Italian and international guests between the Stazione Leopolda and the Florentine institutions involved in this fourth edition.
TESTO confirms itself as an unmissable event for readers
and all key figures of the book world, and as the ideal stage
for publishing houses to present their first new releases of the year.
A collective experience of being together to read, to listen, to talk and to
discover how a book is made.
As for the TESTO 2025 contests,
the Florence round of the Poetry Slam was won by Gloria Riggio,
while the A Segno! design awards went to
Re-Materialization of Language. 1978–2022 (Nero Editions) for Best Illustrated Book,
and to Autoritratti (Quodlibet, 2024) for Best Text Book.
The fourth edition of TESTO, the event dedicated to contemporary publishing, held from February 28 to March 2, 2025, and organized by Pitti Immagine in collaboration with Stazione Leopolda, from an idea by Todo Modo, concluded with great enthusiasm and satisfaction from all participants: publishers, readers, Italian and international authors, book clubs, booksellers, journalists, and the many professionals connected to the world of books.
An edition that opened to a sold-out crowd at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, where Alessandro Barbero was in conversation with Caterina Soffici about her Romanzo russo, and that recorded a growing audience turnout: more than 12,000 people came to the Leopolda to discover the new releases and curated selections from the 176 participating publishing houses – 44 of them taking part in the fair for the first time. Over 300 authors and guests took center stage, with more than 200 presentations, workshops, guided tours, literary walks and special events held both at the Stazione Leopolda and across numerous Florentine cultural institutions.
TESTO was conceived as a space to open up the world of publishing to the wider public – its main players and the many professionals involved – and to bring them together for three intense days. This fourth edition offered further confirmation of the project’s success, as TESTO has increasingly become the fair of choice for publishers – large, independent and newly established alike – to present their spring releases directly to readers through the presence of authors. This year also saw an increase in the participation of booksellers, who view TESTO as an opportunity for observation, exchange and dialogue with professionals across the publishing world. It was particularly gratifying to see the continued presence of young readers, interested not only in both emerging and established publishers but also in a program that addressed current conflicts, freedom of speech, feminist writing, the evolution of the novel as a genre and the enduring relevance of the classics.
This year’s edition also sought to expand its reach through collaborations with some of Florence’s major cultural institutions – including the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Gabinetto Vieusseux, the Museo del Novecento, the Opera di Santa Croce, the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, the INAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, the Museo di Storia Naturale La Specola, the Fondazione per l’Artigianato Istituto de’ Bardi, the Institut Français Italia and Librairie française de Florence, Polimoda, the University of Florence, and Cinema La Compagnia, among others. Each contributed with its own cultural initiative to highlight the living network of connections that link readers to books. The Mayor of Florence, Sara Funaro, and the President of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani, joined the fair, taking part in its activities and mingling with readers and authors. The Tuscany Region participated for the first time with dedicated projects, and the City of Florence supported the event’s promotion.
Partners, institutions and numerous collaborators enriched the fair with their expertise and enthusiasm. Central to the event were the Capistazione, each representing a key stage in the book’s journey: Luca Briasco (The Manuscript), Andrea Gessner (The Jacket), Beatrice Masini (The Translation), Giovanna Silva and Chiara Carpenter (The Sign), Leonardo G. Luccone (The Story), Maddalena Fossombroni and Pietro Torrigiani (The Bookshop) and Riccardo Ventrella (The Reader).
The A Segno! prize for Best Illustrated Book went to Re-Materialization of Language. 1978–2022 (Nero Editions, 2024), edited by Cristiana Perrella, Andrea Viliani, and Vittoria Pavesi, recognized for the harmony between content and cover, flawless printing and binding, and the thoughtful organization of archival materials. The award for Best Text Book was given to Autoritratti (Quodlibet, 2024) by Tommaso Spazzini Villa, which pays homage to the publisher’s historic graphic identity while updating it in a contemporary context. In both cases, the jury praised the coherence between content and form and the formal unity of the design.
