It was founded in 1996 by Giuliano Ferrara, an Italian journalist, television host, and politician.

The Monday edition, mostly prepared several days prior, has a different layout and the articles are printed in a larger font.

Il Foglio was founded in Milan in 1996 by Ferrara after he left as editor of the magazine Panorama.

The newspaper has tended to express a conservative line in politics and a liberal one in economics.

It features editorials inspired by American newspapers, especially The Wall Street Journal.