A spring in Fabriano

A cartoonist, a “Unesco Creative City”, and paper: the alchemy of these three elements inspired Alberto Madrigal’s comic book “Una primavera a Fabriano” (A spring in Fabriano).
In May 2021 we invited Spanish cartoonist Alberto Madrigal to Fabriano to join him on a journey to explore where paper was created over 750 years ago: an opportunity to learn, experiment, and imagine.
It was the start of a very special friendship.

Fabriano has always agreed with artists that paper is not just a form of media, but a never-ending source of inspiration, different every time, and Alberto Madrigal embraced his days in Fabriano with enthusiasm and passion, taking full advantage of the opportunity to truly understand all the secrets of papermaking, taught by the very people who make it for a living.
A new comic was inspired by this adventure and by our new friend’s own imagination, chronicling his experience, his feelings and everything he has learned, all of which we are delighted to see form a meaningful part of his artistic journey.

“Una primavera a Fabriano”(A spring in Fabriano) is an Italian tale with dashes of Roman dialect and a few brush strokes of Spanish, told with a smile, gentle humour and the style of a brilliantly talented artist who combines a masterful watercolour technique with the charm of a cartoon.
With a touch of humour and self-deprecation, Alberto Madrigal recounts why Fabriano has been and continues to be so important in the history of paper today. He talks about exciting highlights, like visiting the heart of the paper mill where handmade paper is still produced, and also reveals a few secrets: because Alberto Madrigal’s huge passion for watercolour is inextricably linked to his first encounter with Fabriano paper, given to him by an Italian friend.

We are proud that a centuries-old tradition is still alive and well in our work every day. This comic is a fresh look at how Fabriano paper has been a wonderful expression of creativity since 1264 and is now facing the future eager to continue supporting generations of artists to come.

The comic book is not for sale, it is intended solely for special projects and/or educational purposes.