Crepax's Valentina was an intriguing character because she openly reflected the sexual freedom of the late sixties and was attractive to both men and women. It was very "in" to be seen walking around with an issue of "Linus," an Italian comics magazine published in Italy beginning in 1965.

Valentina's success coincided with the beginnings of feminist movements in Italy. She depicted a woman who was strong and independent, who could do anything a man could do, a departure from the stereotype of the Italian housewife.

Among the pages of the comic strip, family members find familiar objects, drawings, and personal information from their everyday life. Although Valentina was a figment of Crepax's imagination, she was also an integral part of his family.

One of Crepax's techniques is to use the details of everyday life to build his stories and provide context. We even see the titles of the books in Valentina's bookcase.

Besides his much better known activity as a graphic artist, Crepax was a keen wargamer and wargame designer and collector of paper soldiers, drawn by himself.

Crepax loved playing at battles and would change the outcomes, using his friends to fine-tune the moves. He had some famous personalities as willing participants in the games, too.

Guido Crepax's son Antonio talks about the day Antonio Custra was killed in May of 1977, during an armed demonstration in Milan. This was during the so-called anni di piombo (years of lead), a period of social turmoil, political violence and upheaval that lasted from the late 1960s until the late 1980s, marked by a wave of both far-left and far-right incidents of political terrorism and violent clashes. Many demonstrators were arrested, but Antonio Crepax managed not to get loaded onto a paddy wagon.

Just as in Cubist art, Crepax would design his figures to be seen from various points of view simultaneously. Sometimes he would use small windows to attract attention rather than making them larger.

Who was the model for Valentina? Certainly, the actress Louise Brooks who portrayed Lulu in the movie Pandora's Box directed by G.W Pabst (based on two plays by Frank Wedekind), but also Crepax's wife, Luisa Mandelli.

Crepax's stories were based on imagination and vision. In those years, artists contaminated one another's works, and there was even a curious connection between Crepax's Ciao Valentina and Antonioni's Blow-Up.

Which came first? Blow-Up or Ciao Valentina? Which work stole from the other? In any case, there are some striking similarities.

We've come to the end of this journey to find Valentina. Philip Rembrandt continues to wait, and Valentina never forgets him.

The three friends, Serena, Milena and Flavia tell us about themselves, employing some useful comparatives. The girls talk about their favorite places and invite everybody to visit Italy. Review your comparatives with them!

Ettore Della Giovanna, noted Italian journalist (1912-2004), interviews Giuseppe Ungaretti, considered one of the greatest poets of his time, besides having been a writer and scholar.

After thanking his host for his kind words, Ungaretti begins talking about his life. He gives a lot of credit to young people, first of all.

Ungaretti talks about how he got his start. He frequented a café in Paris, where artists and poets would gather.

Ungaretti mentions 2 poets who attracted him as a youth: Mallarmé and Leopardi. He talks about the famous poem Alla primavera, o delle favole antiche by Leopardi but gets the title wrong. You can see the entire poem (in Italian) here.

Giuliano talks about why this year he chose to go to a lake for his vacation.

Do you know the Italian words for family members? Listen and watch as Giuditta and Marino talk about how large their family has become since they got married and had a child.

The "Ninna nanna del chicco di caffè" [Coffee Bean Lullaby] was first performed at a musical festival devoted children's songs, the Zecchino d'Oro, in 1970. It is still sung today by many Italian mothers to lull their babies to sleep.

"Stella Stellina" [Star, little star) is a lullaby which repeats the names of farm animals and lulls children to sleep.

Giuditta sings a song about a beautiful turtle. The song tells about how the turtle ended up being such a slow animal.

Giovanna, a resident of Campania, explains how tomato puree is made, and then preserved in glass jars.

Video provided by Youreporter.it Linosa is an island off of Sicily and the setting for an ecological non-profit event "Clean Water Day."