Italy

Agnelli, Umberto

Agnelli was the youngest of seven children of the third generation of the greatItalian Fiat automobile manufacturing dynasty. The children's father died in 1935 ina plane crash and their mo... [more]

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Alexander VI

Pope Alexander VI was born into the wealthy and corrupt Borgia family of Valencia, Spain, and adopted by his maternal uncle, Alfonso Borgia (later Pope Callistus III). He collected religiou... [more]

Caprotti, Gian Giacomo

Caprotti was a student of the immortal Leonardo da Vinci, who was his frequent model and collaborated with him in some of his paintings. But he was probably more than this. Two sources (... [more]

Cardozo, Abraham

Cardozo was a member of a Portuguese Marrano family. (The Marranos are the Jews of Spain and Portugal who involuntarily converted to Christianity in the 14th century and later, many of whom... [more]

Casement, Roger David

Casement was born into a mixed-religion family near Dublin. While the children were young the family lived in Ireland (then still under British control), France, Italy and Jersey, but his m... [more]

Dante Alighieri

Dante was from a noble family, orphaned as a boy and educated by the Dominicans. (According to the Encarta Encyclopedia his father did not die until he was 18, which would put him beyond th... [more]

de Rossi, Giovanni Battista

De Rossi was born into a happy country family in Voltaggio, near Genoa. When he was 10 a wealthy Genoese couple, who had become enchanted by the boy on their holidays, persuaded his parents... [more]

Heracles

One of several versions of his life states that Heracles was adopted by Hera, wife of the god Zeus. Another version of his life states that he was the son of Zeus and Alkmene (wife of Amphi... [more]

Laurent, Robert

Laurent was born and raised in Brittany until he was 12. One day he saw a visiting American painting and inspired to become an artist as well. Amazingly, the artist (Hamilton Easter Field) ... [more]

Lewis, Edmonia

Much is unknown or disputed about Lewis' early and late life. Sources give her year of birth as "sometime in the 1840s," "around 1843 to 1845," "the middle of the 1... [more]