The Bicycle of a Hero

The start of the 108th Giro d’Italia offers the perfect opportunity to go back to the story of a great champion of Italian and world cycling—Gino Bartali, three-time Giro d’Italia winner and two-time Tour de France champion in the 1930s and 1940s. But who was Bartali beyond his sporting triumphs? La bicicletta di Bartali is a book that introduces younger readers to the deeper side of this iconic figure, who is celebrated not only for his victories but also for his extraordinary bravery and humanity. During the Nazi occupation of Florence in 1943, Bartali risked his life to save more than 800 Jews from deportation. Hidden within the frame of his green bicycle were forged documents that enabled them to escape. Written in a lively and very accessible style that manages to blend speech and prose, the book ends with a moving testimony by Andrea Bartali, Gino’s son. In the appendix, he recalls this and other episodes of his father’s and his family’s life. It was only to him that the great champion later revealed his heroic feat, in the belief that “Good is done not spoken about”. A true story about a real man, told in words of truth. A book to be read for its powerful historical testimony and for its compelling narrative, which is sure to resonate with young readers.

Reading age: from 10 years

La bicicletta di Bartali
Simone Dini Gandini, illustrations by Roberto Lauciello
Notes Edizioni, 2015