Dear friends,

To let you know better our beautiful Italy, we have decided to introduce you some of our wellknown pioneers.

LEONARDO DA VINCI

Italian artist, inventor, scientist, painter, writer, engineer

Stayed in Florence until he was thirty where he studied all the human knowledge as an autodidact; he knew engineering, hydraulic, anatomy and the arts, he also studied Latin by himself.

Leonardo was born in Vinci near Florence on 15 April 1452.When he was seventeen he became the apprentice of a painter in Florence thanks to his ability.

Da Vinci’s house

For many years Leonardo worked at the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan, where he painted some of his major works: “Lady with an Ermine” and “The Last Supper”.

He was also at Rome (where he renovated the dock and made a plane for drying up the Pontine Marshes), in Venice and in France, where he completed his most famous picture, “Monna Lisa”.

Da Vinci in his way of making searches and projects was a forerunner of the scientific method by Galilei and his artistic techniques anticipated the style of artists like Caravaggio, one of the greater painters of the Italian Renaissance. His engineering studies made him design an airplane, even if he couldn’t succeed in making him fly because of the heavy material he could use and through his optical studies he built the first darkroom of the history. Between his projects also there was a modern-like city with sewers, waterworks and walkways and stairs that support pedestrian movements. Leonardo was a fable writer, too.

Personal information

Born(1952-06-28)28 June 1952Barletta, Puglia, Italy

Died21 March 2013(2013-03-21) (aged 60)Rome, Italy

Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)

Weight 73 kg (160 lb)

Sport

Country Italy

Sport Athletics

Event(s) 100 m, 200 m

Club Fiat Iveco

Retired 1988

Achievements and titles

Personal best(s)

•100 m: 10.01 (1979, NR)•200 m: 19.72 (1979, ER)

• Mennea, who was born in Barletta, started his long international athletic career in 1971, when he won the first of his 14 Italian outdoor titles in the 100/200. He went on to win 2 indoor titles at 60/400, along with 5 Mediterranean Games gold medals in 100/200. He competed at the European Championships with a third place in the 4 x 100 m relay. He made his Olympic debut at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, where he made the final of the 200 m, his strongest event. He crossed the line in third place. Three more Olympic 200 metre finals would follow later in his career.

In 1979, Mennea placed first in the 100 metres and second in the 200 behind Allan Wellsof Great Britain in the European Cup. Later in the year, he took part in the World University Games, which were held on the high-altitude track of Mexico City. On 12 September 1979, he won the 200 metres with a time of 1972. His time set a new world record, beating Tommie Smiths's time of 19.83 set on the same track in the 1968 Summer Olympics. The record held for seventeen years before Michael Jonson broke it at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials. As of 1 April 2013, only eight athletes have recorded a better time over 200 metres than Mennea. His time stands as the current European record. He also held the low-altitude world record, 19.96, from 1980 to 1983, set in his home town of Barletta. On 17 August 1980, Mennea became the first sprinter to break 20 seconds for the 200 metres for the third time.

Entering the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow , Mennea was a favourite for the Olympic gold, in part because of the American boycott of the event. In the 200 metre final, Mennea faced reigning champion Don Quarrie, and 100 metre champion Allan Wells. Wells got out to a fast start, but Mennea drew closer on the straight, and pasted him at the very end of the race, winning the gold by 0.02 seconds. Later in the games, he was the anchor man on the Italian bronze medal winning 4 × 400 relay team. He also competed in the 100 metres during the games, reaching the semi-finals.

On 24 May 2012, the Mayor of Durres, Vangjush Dako, bestowed upon Mennea the title of honorary citizen of Durrës to Pietro Mennea.[Furthermore, President oF Albania Bamir Topi awarded Pietro Mennea with the "Medal of Gratitude" with citation:

"For value and contribution as the former World record holder in Athletics and major figure in the Foundation "Pietro Mennea", created to help sport and research".

JULIUS CAESAR

Julius Caesar was one of the most important Roman general and statesman, he played a key role in the rise of the Roman Empire. Born in 100 BC he started his political career in 68 BC and in the next years he became the most influencing person of the Roman Senate. He had a very important role in the events concerning the fall of the Roman Republic.

At the time in Rome there was a very critical situation, the dictatorship of Sulla had just ended. Caesar decided to support the political faction which helped poor people, increasing the hate of the other aristocrats. After a lucky military campaign in the Gaul his power quickly increased, for this reason and because of senators’ hate he was killed on 15 March 44 BC.

Vincenzo Camuccini, Julius Caesar’s death, 1798

During his domination Caesar gave a very important contribute to History. With his campaign in Gaul he extended Rome’s territories, he reformed the Roman calendar (the month of July takes his name from Caesar’s second name), he explored for the first time England, giving chance to his successors to colonize this isle, he gave the senators a cause to start a civil war in Italy, which finally ended with the formation of the Roman Empire.

Lionel Noel Royer, Vercingetorix deposes his weapons in front of Caesar winner, 1899

The pioneer of humor in the cinema

His real name is Antonio De Curtis and he was born in Naples on 15 February 1898. In 1922, he moved to Rome to perform in bigger theatres. He performed in the genre of avanspettacolo (“before show”), a mixture of music, ballet and comedy preceding the main act. He became adept at these shows and in the 1930s he had his own company, with which he travelled across Italy.In 1937, he appeared in his first movie “Fermo con le mani” many of his films are still frequently broadcasted on Italian television.

Totò's inimitable figure, with his peculiarly irregular face, and his unique ability to disarticulate his body like a marionette, soon became very popular and his comic gags became part of the Italian culture. His typical character is uneducated, poor, vain, snobbish, selfish, naive, opportunist, hedonist, lascivious and generally immoral, although fundamentally good-hearted.He died on 15 April 1967 in Rome.

Totò was called the “The Prince of the laugh”, in fact he is considered one of the best performers in Italy.

He acted in more than 40 plays for the theatre, and in 97 films like protagonist.

He carried the laugh among people and a lot of his sentences are now periphrasis used in the common speeches. There are a lot of comics, but nobody can imitate or beat him ! He is particular for his sole interpretation and way to be.