by InTrieste
As the Friuli Venezia Giulia region marks the 50th anniversary of the devastating 1976 earthquake, Italian civil protection authorities are turning to an unconventional medium to teach disaster preparedness: a comic book aimed at middle school students.
The initiative, presented on Monday by the national Civil Protection Department and regional officials, introduces “L’urlo dell’Orcolat” (“The Cry of the Orcolat”), the first volume in a new series designed to bring major events in Italy’s civil protection history into classrooms. Distribution to lower secondary schools across the region will begin this week.
Riccardo Riccardi, the regional councillor for civil protection, said the project seeks to link historical memory with younger generations in order to strengthen a culture of prevention. “Awareness of risk must become a shared heritage and a tool for active citizenship,” he said.
The comic is part of a broader educational program called “L’attimo decisivo” (“The Decisive Moment”), developed by Italy’s national Civil Protection Department in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Merit. The program is intended to integrate disaster awareness into school curricula, particularly in civic education, history and science classes.
Written by Roberto Gagnor, a longtime writer for Italy’s “Topolino” comic series, and illustrated by Andrea Riccadonna, the story reinterprets the 1976 earthquake through a blend of historical documentation and local folklore.
Its narrator is the Orcolat, a mythical giant from Friulian tradition believed to shake the mountains and cause destruction. Through this figure, the narrative explores the earthquake and introduces Giuseppe Zamberletti, widely regarded as a founder of Italy’s modern civil protection system for his role in emergency response and reconstruction efforts.
Officials said the publication is intended as a teaching tool to help students understand seismic risk and appropriate safety behavior, as well as to support lessons in civic education and natural sciences. Printed locally in Friuli Venezia Giulia, the books will be distributed with the help of civil protection volunteers. Digital versions and teaching materials will also be made available online.
