published:  1967 by Garzanti.it

Artwork: by Fulvio BIANCONI

translated: by Roberto Ortolani

more details on the Press page →  here
Juliette Benzoni on Wikipedia en /fr / ger / it
For the Italian Marianne Saga see →  here

The names of the Italian Editions

1. La Belle Catherine - (org. Il suffit d'un amour 1)
2. La passione di Catherine - (Il suffit d'un amour 2)
3. La fuga di Catherine - (org. Belle Catherine)
4. La vendetta di Catherine - (org. Catherine des grand chemins)
5. Catherine e il tempo di amare - (org. Catherine et le temps d'aimer)

Books 6 & 7 not translated !
6. Piège pour Catherine
7. La Dame de Montsalvy

Copertina di Fulvio Bianconi©Archivio Fulvio Bianconi

What we see below are the Italian hardcover editions for the 'Catherine series' by Maestro Fulvio Bianconi,, published 1967 by Garzanti.it 

I am very honoured to have the exceptional permission by the « Fulvio Bianconi©Archivio Fulvio Bianconi », to show some of the Cover Artwork by distinguished 'Maestro Fulvio Bianconi' – in this case his illustrations for the Catherine and Marianne Novels, published by Garzanti.it  

I like to give my sincere thank you to 'Signora Daniela Andreoli' (staff Archive Fulvio Bianconi) for her generous support. Linda, webmaster

The brilliant Artist Fulvio Bianconi was born 1915 in Ponte di Brenta, (province of Padova), near Venice. At a very young age, he showed a predilection towards drawing. After the War, he continued his work as a graphic designer with various publishers, such as Garzanti with whom he was to work continuously until 1975. He is best known as an Italian Murano glass artist. His designs made him famous all over the World.
(source ©official website Fulvio Bianconi)

Book #1 1967
Artwork
Fulvio Bianconi

Book #2 1967
Artwork
Fulvio Bianconi

Book #3 1968
Artwork
Fulvio Bianconi

Book #4 1969
Artwork
Fulvio Bianconi

Book #5 1971
Artwork
Fulvio Bianconi

paperback #1 1969
Artwork
*French painting

paperback # 2 1969
Artwork
???

paperback #3 1970
Artwork
Fulvio Bianconi

paperback #4 1971
Artwork
???

*paperback #5 1973
Artwork
Fulvio Bianconi

* The really fatal mistake by a Publisher..


It is actually not my place to criticize a publisher, but in this case I must honestly say that I cannot understand the Italian publisher 'Garzanti' at all...! What we see above is the paperback cover for the fifth adventure of Catherine in 1973: 'Catherine e il tempo di amare'. What is the issue? Misleading a reader, because it says on the cover :  « L'ultima avventura di Catherine : alla corte del sultano » I translate from Italian)

« The last adventure of Catherine : at the sultan's court »

« No, that was not the last adventure gentile Signor Garzanti. Your paperback was published in 1973, yet in the same year 'Editions Trévise' published the sixth Catherine adventure : Piège pour Catherine » !

What happened there? Apart from the fact that readers were misinformed ! The books sold very well - why else print them also in Paperback ? Also, I am sure the excellent artist 'Fulvio Bianconi' would have surprised us anew with two more magnificent paintings.  I suppose someone did his homework very poorly. What a pity...

April 2, 2022



Mariage Banquet de Clarisse de Gascoigne
Histoire de Regnault de Montaubon

A few days ago I stumbled on this image. What we see above is a painting of the Wedding of Clarisse de Gascoigne.  When I took a closer look, I knew why it looked familiar. Fact is: for the first paperback cover of 'La Belle Catherine' by Publisher Garzanti.it in 1969, a detail of the painting was taken.



I have scanned the inside of my personal Italian copy and found it fascinating and indeed wonderful that Garzanti.it had added a Timeline and also the principal real historic characters at the time the Catherine story unfolds.


Original cliffhanger paperclip, Italy 1964 or 1965 ?



March 4, 2020
A great discovery for my researches concerning the Italian Catherine books...
We see in the orginial Garzanti.it hardcover book that CATHERINE was first published in 1967. Yet we learn from Juliette Benzoni's own souvenirs and the weekly Italian Magazine called STOP, (that I was able to buy on Ebay) that Catherine was first introduced to their readers in Italy in 1965 in Cliffhanger format ! I have in my possession some paperclips concerning the third and the fifth book. The Magazine is proof, I have it in black & white with the exact date ! Also interesting fact, they call the first book in the Italian Magazine 'Stop', with the original French title: SOLO UN AMORE (One Love is Enough)  

What I love on this rare document is the Artwork. It is this time not our heroine Catherine, but her sister LOYSE and that aweful CABOCHE.
I believe this could be a drawing from the French newspaper 'France-soir' who also published the story first in the daily newspaper France-soir.

Publisher Garzanti.it assigned then Graphic designer Fulvio Bianconi to draw for them the Italian covers for the Catherine books (and years later also the Marianne Novels)

 

For the other Cliffhanger in the magazine STOP, they took definitely the image of the second French Edition : Il suffit d'un amour II.


 

For the fifth in the Series, Catherine and a time to love, the Italian magazine used the cover of the Spanish first hardcover edition BASTA CON AMOUR.

 

When I bought the Italian edition of 'La Passione di Catherine', I had no idea what a treasure I got! It shows us inside the book, a photo  of Juliette Benzoni the first time she went to her publisher to sign her Catherine book 'Il suffit d'un amour' in 1963.



During one of my visits to Juliette Benzoni in 2010 I approached her with the knowledge that she was actually « La Contessa Benzoni » she smiled and to my joy signed my Italian edition with the name of 'Juliette Contessa Benzoni'!

Above you see the original article I translated from French, where it says that ITALY was also one of the Countries that bought Catherine's publication rights - even though the book was not yet available in bookstores in FRANCE!

I quote from the translated article  above:

« She took the story to Editions Trévise, who immediately accepted it and sold the rights to nine foreign publishers. (The Netherlands, England, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Spain and Turkey). The latter, enthusiastic, immediately wired their agreement. »   

La fuga di Catherine (Graphic Designer : Fulvio Bianconi)



Italian book cover for « La fuga di Catherine » Publisher Garzanti added on a second printing a preview for the movie "Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour" in 1969 - the film alas - flopped at the cinema - read more on our meeting with Juliette in Saint-Mandé 2010 what the reason was and why our Author cried « like a waterfall» when she saw the film....!

In the Eighties I once saw this aweful film on television and to tell the truth I stopped watching... the story had nothing anymore to do with Juliette Benzoni's Catherine story. Director was 'Bernard Borderie', the same man who had years earlier with great success, directed the Angélique films (after the books by Anne Golon) . Juliette was extremely disappointed by the end product, because they had turned her story into a Political unrest, inspired by the '1968 Paris riots'! And as a side note... it was not the lack of money as I learned from the Author - but maybe too many cooks spoil the soup... ! It had been a France, Italy and German production.



The photo above shows a goblet given to each guest the day the film was shown the very first time to the Press, Stars and Producers. The hall was decorated in the manner of the Middle Ages as were the feast Banquet tables. Also each guest was allowed to take his goblet home.  Juliette Benzoni decided on our third meeting I was the chosen person to have from now on her goblet. One can still faintly make out the engraved writing after so many years:

CATHERINE: LIRA FILMS 1968

I have decided to create an extra page with photos from the film - it is under construction. The movie had  some international Stars which deserve to be mentioned - like Olga Georges-Picot (Catherine Legoix), Roger Van Hool (Arnaud de Montsalvy), Claude Brasseur (Caboche), Horst Frank (Duke Philippe), Francine Bergé ( Sara) ...




* The photo of Juliette Benzoni at the top of the page is the one that the publisher Garzanti.it has used in all the 'Catherine and Marianne' books they published. It can be seen inside the covers. I have the pleasure to share one of the photos on the same occasion at 'Editions Trévise'. My sincere thank goes to Juliette's daughter, my dear friend 'Anne Gallois', for giving me the permission to upload the photo(s).



 

In Heinemann's Ltd. original hardcovers (and many other foreign editions) we see these two beautiful photos of Juliette Benzoni. The one on the left was taken by the acclaimed late writer photographer Jerry Bauer ( 1934 - 2010 ) The photo on the right side by another world famous photographer Sam Lévin. The Lévin photo ,was Juliette official Autograph card. Sometimes we can buy them on Ebay nowadays...