The exhibition Corto Maltese. On the routes of adventure will be inaugurated on Wednesday, May 14th at 12:30 pm at the Granai di Villa Mimbelli (67 Via San Jacopo in Acquaviva, Livorno), in the presence of Mayor Luca Salvetti, Councilor for Culture Angela Rafanelli, and other authorities.

A journey into the world of Corto Maltese, the sailor always departing towards distant treasure islands. As part of the program of Blu Livorno. Biennial of the sea and water, an event promoted by the Municipality of Livorno that focuses on the maritime vocation of the city and those who experience the sea in all its forms, there will also be space for art with an exhibition dedicated to one of the greatest Italian comic book artists, Hugo Pratt, and his most famous character, Corto Maltese.

The Granai di Villa Mimbelli, adjacent to the Fattori Museum, will host Corto Maltese. On the routes of adventure, a selection of ten original works by Hugo Pratt. This is the artistic spin-off of the monographic exhibition currently taking place in Siena, at the historic Palazzo delle Papesse, inaugurated in recent weeks. Blu Livorno. Biennial of the sea and water will start on Wednesday, May 14th and will close on Saturday, May 17th, but the exhibition on Hugo Pratt at the Granai di Villa Mimbelli will remain open until Thursday, May 22nd, with free admission every day from 10 am to 8 pm.

The spin-off Corto Maltese. On the routes of adventure is curated by Patrizia Zanotti, a historic collaborator of Hugo Pratt: Zanotti is part of the Cong company, which manages and promotes the artistic heritage of the comic book artist. The exhibition design is by Opera Laboratori, a leading company in the field of cultural heritage and museum services, in collaboration with the Livorno-based publishing house Sillabe, which produced the catalog of the Siena exhibition in co-edition with Cong.

Hugo Pratt is the author who has drawn and narrated, through his characters, the vast universe of real and imaginary travel. With subtle or bold lines and delicate watercolors, he transformed Corto Maltese into an icon of the free sailor. Corto is the friend to embark with, a character that offers subjectivity because - thanks to the non-linearity and indefiniteness of his destinations - allows the reader to enter the story in search of a fascinating elsewhere. With Corto, the reading subject is involved and becomes, unconsciously, a protagonist. In this artistic spin-off, the visitor is introduced to the multiple aspects of this character, internationally becoming a symbol of an invitation to travel and discovery. Corto is a door opener that stimulates curiosity and the desire to embark on new adventures. The sea, from the Mediterranean to the southern seas, has always represented these values that - through the panels and watercolors reproduced in this exhibition - lead the visitor on the routes of a new adventure.