Oh! Ye of modern times!
Dost thou yet recoil at the tale of a battle waged by the damnèd craft of black powder, brimstone, and saltpeter?!
In but a single day, near twenty thousand souls met death, void of glory or chivalric grace—neither for high ideals nor a noble dame’s honor!
Nay, by God, those upon noble steeds, most esteemed in station, fell first and in greater number than we lowly, ill-armed footmen…
Thus beginneth Acerrima Clades, a graphic novel by Cesare Albertano, Saturno Carnoli, and Gianluca Bernardini, with lettering by Barbara Calzolari. Told in the manner of Spoon River, it gives voice to both famed and nameless souls of the bloody Battle of Ravenna (1512). Its release aligns with the quincentennial commemoration of that fateful clash, which heralded centuries of foreign dominion and the twilight of Italy’s Renaissance.
In the realm of individuals’ material lives, the abstract representation of historical events and detached documentary reconstruction generally prevail.
The authors of Acerrima Clades, however, chose to ground their research by transcending the boundary between historical and scientific inquiry and the expressive language of artistic vision—an essential approach to capturing the most subjective details of such a dramatic and pivotal experience.
Thus, war, as an eternal narrative of nations, is revisited through testimonies and autobiographical accounts—not merely written, but rather spoken aloud by the very protagonists, whether famous or forgotten.
The book presentation to the press and the public took place in the magnificent Biblioteca Classense in Ravenna. The space beneath the porticoes of the Chiostro Minore was set up with large-format fabric banners (3 meters in height) depicting the book’s characters.
A collection of images from the event can be viewed here.
Project Management
— Saturno Carnoli
Concept, Project Lead, Texts and Historical Research
— Cesare Albertano
Concept, Project Lead, Texts and Historical Research
Art Direction
— Gianluca Bernardini
Art direction, Illustrations & creative design
— Barbara Calzolari
Calligraphy
Creative Design
— Latveria Design
Layout
I am always eager to take on new projects and explore exciting opportunities. For this reason, I am more than happy to have a conversation or delve deeper into potential collaborations.