Luciano Fontana was born in Frosinone on 11 January 1959, he lives in Milan, is married with two children. He graduated in Philosophy from La Sapienza University in Roma.

After his early experience as a correspondent from Frosinone for the Ansa news agency and the Unità newspaper, which offered him a trainee contract in 1986, he remained with this newspaper until 1997. He wrote on current affairs and foreign affairs, later in charge of political affairs and finally he became editor-in-chief.

On 1 February 1997 he was appointed deputy editor of the Corriere della Sera. In 2000 he became editor-in-chief, in 2003 deputy director and then joint-director in 2009. He is an expert in Italian and international politics, and was in charge of the digital edition of the Corriere. Since May 2015 he is general manager of the Corriere della Sera.