Alice Milani's Graphic Novel on Don Lorenzo Milani

Alice Milani, born in Pisa in 1986, has released a graphic novel titled "Università e pecore" (Feltrinelli Comics, 2019) about her great-uncle Don Lorenzo Milani, a controversial Italian priest and educator. The book follows his life from his spiritual calling to conflicts with Church hierarchy, his exile to Barbiana in the 1950s, and his radical teaching methods. Milani, known as the "red priest," founded a non-denominational school for poor workers and peasants, focusing on language mastery. The title comes from a letter where he contrasts the ignorant peasant family who sustained the educated landowner family—his own. The graphic novel uses a light, painterly style to convey his rebellious character. In an interview, Milani explains she drew from his published letters, "Esperienze pastorali" (1958), "Lettera a una professoressa" (1967), and family stories. She notes his anticonformism, irascibility, and logical rigor. The book is 160 pages, €18.