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We're more used to see Corto Maltese deal with mysticism in the context of African or Asian ceremonies and dark voodoo rituals. There's another stream of European mysticism to be found in (of all places) Switzerland in Le Elevetiche Rosa Alchemica . The manner in which Corto is drawn into this world is very much like that of a hallucinogenic trip, and it's a very trippy experience that takes up the majority of the album. Corto accompanies old friend Professor Jeremiah Steiner to Montagnola in the canton of Tessin, Switzerland. He's as interested as Steiner in a conference being held by Herman Hesse on esoterica and alchemy. Arriving at their destination, they are met by a strange ambiguous figure of indeterminate age, who looks 10 but claims to be either 4 or 730, who introduces themselves as Klingsor or Hermann Hesse. They are in a strange place all right, but it's about to get even stranger. Soon Corto is conversing with images of medieval sages on the wall about ...