Since its inception in 1945, under the aegis of art historian Bernard Berenson, Electa has an unparalleled tradition on the Italian and European scene for its rigour and continuity in documenting cultural heritage, including archaeology, contemporary art, design, architecture, and photography.
The wealth of material and variety of the Electa catalogue has become a reference due to its completeness and typological variety, the richness of texts and images under a single title, the coherence, originality and effectiveness of graphic concepts, the editorial care and undisputed print quality.
Electa publishing production has significantly expanded over the years, thanks to the privileged relationship with the world of research and new multidisciplinary contributions by essays, exhibition catalogues, scientific volumes, guides and visiting tools dedicated to Italian monuments and arts venues. Up to the A-Z monographs, dedicated to eclectic figures of the XX century and the feminist Oilà series.
In 2020 the Electa catalogue was enriched by the acquisition of a Milanese publisher, Abscondita, which is known for its key critical essays for the history of Italian artistic literature.