[8] Its founders were a collection of left-wing journalists who engaged in the wave of critical thought and activity on the Italian left in that period.

This resulted in a period of internal tensions between those who wanted to safeguard the journal's independence and those who aimed to transform it into the new party's press organ.

In 1978, the former group came out victorious as the leadership of il manifesto largely left the PdUP and the newspaper fully regained its autonomy.

[14] On 21 December 2000, the newspaper's office in Rome was the target of a bomb attack by Andrea Insabato, a neo-fascist with past ties to the Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari and Terza Posizione.

[16] By the late 2000s, state aid to media in Italy was dropping and il manifesto began to operate at a loss.