Palazzo San Sebastiano is very close to Palazzo Te and its park, a little outside Mantova city centre. During the magical days of Festivaletteratura, the stroll down there allows one to feel surrounded by the city’s beautiful history and architecture and by the many authors, book lovers and blue t-shirted volunteers that animate it every year in early September.

If not chatting with a friend or taking a quick glance at the festival’s program while crossing the city, the walk to Palazzo San Sebastiano leaves enough time to pop in some earphones and listen to a couple songs, maybe La pulce d’acqua or Alla fiera dell’est by Angelo Branduardi, musician and musical storyteller. These specific choices would be particularly appropriate if the event one was headed to was Un Moderno Trovatore, moderated by music reporter and critic Giulia Cavaliere, where Branduardi talked about his autobiography Confessioni di un Malandrino, (also the title of another song of his worth a listen!).

The autobiography, born from a twenty hour-long conversation and interview with musician and writer Fabio Zuffanti, was presented to the audience in flesh and blood, as Branduardi shared life stories and anecdotes guided by Cavaliere’s questions. Branduardi really is a poet, as poetry is present not only in his art, but also in the way he describes how he befriended prostitutes as a little child, the relationship with his father, the teachers that filled his youth with culture and inspiration…

Listening to Brandurardi’s passion embodied in moving monologues and witty one liners made clear that an intense and polyhedric artistic production stems from an equally intense and polyhedric life. He is a man that has lived many powerful stories and shared their beauty with the world through his craft.