ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Aldo Braibanti: The Writer Defended by Moravia and Pasolini

artist · 2026-04-27

Aldo Braibanti (1922–2014), hailing from Fiorenzuola d'Arda, was an Italian writer, philosopher, and myrmecologist. His fascination with ants began in childhood, and he became a partisan during WWII, later joining the Italian Communist Party. However, he departed from it in 1947 after his poem was published in Il Ponte. That same year, he established an artistic laboratory in Castell'Arquato, creating works like 'Il circo e altri scritti' (1960). In 1962, he relocated to Rome, worked with Quaderni Piacentini, and penned the play 'Virulentia,' which inspired the film 'Transfert per kamera verso Virulentia' (1968). A plagiarism accusation in 1964 led to a nine-year sentence, though he served only two years. Gianni Amelio's film 'Il signore delle formiche' revisits this narrative, premiering on September 8, 2022.

Key facts

  • Aldo Braibanti was born in 1922 in Fiorenzuola d'Arda and died in 2014 in Castell'Arquato.
  • He was a writer, philosopher, and myrmecologist.
  • During WWII, he fought as a partisan and joined the Italian Communist Party, leaving in 1947.
  • In 1947, he founded an artistic laboratory in the Torrione Farnese of Castell'Arquato with Renzo and Sylvano Bussotti.
  • In 1962, he moved to Rome and collaborated with Quaderni Piacentini and Carmelo Bene.
  • In 1964, Ippolito Sanfratello accused Braibanti of plagio for influencing his son Giovanni.
  • Braibanti was sentenced to nine years in prison in 1968; he served two years.
  • Giovanni Sanfratello was confined to a mental hospital for fifteen months.
  • Intellectuals including Pasolini, Moravia, Morante, Bellocchio, and Eco protested the conviction.
  • Moravia published 'Sotto il nome di plagio' in 1969.
  • Gianni Amelio's film 'Il signore delle formiche' was released on September 8, 2022.

Entities

Artists

  • Aldo Braibanti
  • Renzo Bussotti
  • Sylvano Bussotti
  • Carmelo Bene
  • Alberto Grifi
  • Pier Paolo Pasolini
  • Alberto Moravia
  • Elsa Morante
  • Marco Bellocchio
  • Umberto Eco
  • Gianni Amelio
  • Ludovico Pratesi

Institutions

  • Il Ponte
  • Quaderni Piacentini
  • Italian Communist Party
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Fiorenzuola d'Arda
  • Italy
  • Castell'Arquato
  • Torrione Farnese
  • Parma
  • Liceo Romagnosi
  • Florence
  • Rome

Sources