Antonio Civelli was born in Milan in 1850, the son of Carlo Civelli (1843-1904), who had taken over the printing and publishing business of his father Giuseppe Civelli (1816-1882). He was involved at an early age in the turmoil of the Risorgimento and at only sixteen years of age he became a volunteer in the forces of Garibaldi and fought in the Third War of Independence. In 1876 he was initiated into the freemasons and joined the Milan lodge “La ragione”.

He grew up in the family printing and publishing business, of which he took charge after the death of his father in 1904. He was also the proprietor of various newspapers and periodicals, from “Corriere italiano” to “La Lombardia”, from “L’Adige” to the periodical “Il diritto”, and he made investments in other enterprises, including the firm that produced the Florentia cars. He was a member of the Associazione commerciale fiorentina, of which he became vice-president and helped to found its bank.

His public activities within the field connected with his profession (such as being a founding member of the Società operaia dei tipografi and subsequently the president of the Florence Chamber of Commerce) promoted his political career: he became a municipal councillor and committee chairman in the municipality of Florence, a member for the Left in the Italian parliament in 1892 and, finally in 1905, Senator of the Kingdom of Italy.

On the occasion of a meeting with Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, Antonio Civelli informed him that his family publishing house was printing the Storia del metodo sperimentale in Italia by Raffaello Caverni and, following a request from the Prince, a copy was sent to Rome with a printed dedication. He died in Florence in 1930.