This document profiles several famous Italians from history and the present day. It describes Marco Polo as an explorer, journalist and author who travelled extensively in Asia and wrote about his experiences. Christopher Columbus is presented as an explorer and navigator who made the first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492 and discovered America. Michelangelo is noted as an influential Renaissance artist who created famous sculptures and paintings like David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Other profiles include Leonardo da Vinci, Enzo Ferrari, Roberto Benigni, Giorgio Armani, Monica Bellucci, Valentino Rossi, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, and automaker Ferruccio Lamborgh

2. MARCO POLO
 He
was a great explorer and jounalist.
 He was born in 1254, in Venice, Italy to a wealthy
merchant family.
 He travelled with his family from Europe to Asia from
1271 to 1295. He remained in China for 17 years. There,
he met the famous Mongol leader Kublai Khan.
 He wrote the book “The Travels of Marco Polo” where
he describes his travels and experiences.

3. Christopher Columbus
 He
was a great explorer and navigator born in 1451 in
Genoa, Italy. He died in 1506 in Spain.
 His first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean at the age of 25
nearly cost him his life. His ship was attacked and burned.
 In 1492 Columbus left Spain in the Santa Maria, sailed
west, crossed the Atlantic and discovered America.

4. Michelangelo
 He
was an architect, a painter, a sculptor and a poet.
 He was born in 1475, in Caprese, Italy. He lived most of his
life in Rome where he died in 1564.
 He had a remarkable career as an artist in the Italian
Renaissance.
 His works include the “David” and “Pieta” statues and the
ceiling paintings of Rome’s Sistine Chapel, including the “Last
Judgment”.

5. Leonardo da Vinci
 He
was a mathematician, artist, inventor, musician and
writer!
 He was born in 1452 in Vinci, Italy and died in Amboise,
France.
 He was concerned with the laws of science and nature and
his ideas and work have influenced many artists.
 Some of his works are: “Virgin of the Rocks”, “The Last
Supper”, “Leda and the Swan”, “Mona Lisa”, etc.

6. Enzo Ferrari
 He
was a motor racing driver and the founder of the
Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team.
 He was born in Modena, Italy in 1898 and died in 1988.
 At the age of 10 he decided to be a racing driver and
participated in many car races in his life. He started his
career with Alfa Romeo.

7. Roberto Benigni
 He
is an actor and a writer, born in Tuscany, Italy , in 1952.
 He is well known for the films “La vie est belle”, “La tigre e
la neve” and “Pinocchio”.
 He is the first actor to win a Best Actor Oscar for a nonEnglish speaking role.
 He has become one of the opponents to Silvio Berlusconi’s
government and policy in Italy.

8. Giorgio Armani
 He
is a famous fashion designer and formed his company
“Armani”.
 He was born in Piacenza, in 1934 and at first he wanted to be
a doctor but he gave up and started a career as a designer.
 He has designed many stage outfits for superstars and the
costumes for more than 100 films.
 He is interested in sports and
 an Inter Milan fan.

9. Monica Belluci
 She
is a very beautiful actress born in 1964 in Citta di
Castello, Umbria.
 She attended the University of Perugia to be a lawyer and at
the same time he worked as a model to earn money.
 She is best known for her roles in the “Matrix Reloaded’ and
“The Passion of the Christ”.
 She is married to the French actor Vincent Cassel and they
have two daughters,

10. Valentino Rossi
 He
is a professional motorcycle racer born in Urbino,
Morche, in 1979.
 His father was a motorcycle racer, too and has helped him a
lot with his career.
 He has nine Grand Prix World Championships.
 He started with Aprilia, then moved to Honda, after that
moved to Yamaha, Then to Ducati and now he has rejoined
Yamaha.

11. Domeniko Dolce
Stefano Gabbana
 They
are fashion designers.
 They founded the luxury industry fashion “Dolce+Gabbana”
in 1982 and in 1985 they presented their first women’s
collection in Milan.
 Their products are: clothing, footwear, handbags, sunglasses,
watches, jewellery, perfumes and cosmetics.

12. Ferruccio Lamborghini
 He
was born in 1916 near Modena.
 He liked engines from an early age.
 First, he set up a small car and motorcycle repair shop. Then
he built tractors, heaters and air conditioning units.
 He was a successful businessman.
 At last he decided to build cars and his first car was ready in
1963 and was a great success.

13. “Euro friends”
By
the Greek etwinning team
21st Junior High School of Athens