Ten years of research come to a single morning in the Friuli countryside. imagazine.it reported that Aiello del Friuli will host the presentation of “Luigi Olivari il Diavolo Rosso sui cieli del Friuli,” a volume by historical researcher Gianluca Comar, on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the Sala Civica of the former Dominican Convent. The event is part of the initiatives promoted for the 211th Fiera di San Carlo.
The book is the centerpiece of a cultural event dedicated to Luigi Olivari, the celebrated aviator of the era known in the chronicles of the time as the “Diavolo Rosso” — the Red Devil.
Twelve Victories Set Against a Fatal Flight
Olivari’s record in the cockpit stands in stark contrast to the brevity of his life. He was credited with 12 shootdowns, and he became the first Italian pilot to earn the qualification of Ace after reaching five aerial victories. Yet his young life ended tragically on Oct. 13, 1917, in a flying accident.
Born in La Spezia in 1891 and raised in San Maurizio Canavese, Olivari tied his fate to Friuli, operating from 1915 to 1917 at the Santa Caterina airfield near Udine. He served in the legendary 91ª Squadriglia alongside Francesco Baracca.
Two Speakers Guide Readers Through the Book
Two prominent speakers will lead the audience through the pages of the volume and trace the profile of the historic aviator: Mauro Antonellini, a historian, writer and component of the scientific committee of the Museo Baracca in Lugo di Romagna, and Professor Stefano Perini, a researcher and already docent of the Liceo Stellini of Udine.
Exhibition Opens the Same Day, Runs Through Sunday
Immediately after the presentation, in the same venue, a related temporary exhibition will be inaugurated. The show offers a visual and documentary path through Olivari’s life and exploits. It remains open to the public on Saturday, Nov. 7, after the event ends until 5 p.m., and on Sunday, Nov. 8, continuously from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The event is curated by the Commissione Comunale di Storia of Aiello del Friuli with the collaboration of the Associazione Storico Archeologica della Bassa Friulana Orientale “NATISO CVM TVRRO.”
Questions Readers Are Asking About the Olivari Event
Who was Luigi Olivari? An Italian World War I pilot born in La Spezia in 1891 who flew from the Santa Caterina airfield near Udine between 1915 and 1917, serving in the 91ª Squadriglia with Francesco Baracca. He was the first Italian pilot to become an Ace and was credited with 12 shootdowns before dying in a flying accident on Oct. 13, 1917.
What is the book about? “Luigi Olivari il Diavolo Rosso sui cieli del Friuli,” written by Gianluca Comar after 10 years of work, is a dive into aviation history and the memories of the First World War, focused on Olivari’s exploits over Friuli.
When and where does the presentation take place? Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 11 a.m., in the Sala Civica of the former Dominican Convent in Aiello del Friuli, as part of the 211th Fiera di San Carlo.
Can visitors see the exhibition afterward? Yes. The exhibition opens right after the presentation on Nov. 7 and stays open until 5 p.m. that day and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8.
The story of the Red Devil of Friuli, more than a century after his final flight, will be retold in Aiello on Nov. 7 — and the exhibition will keep his documents and images on view through the following day.
