Gino Bartali was born in Ponte a Ema, near Florence, in 1914 and was one of the greatest cycling champions of all time. Nicknamed “Ginettaccio,” he won the Giro d’Italia three times and the Tour de France twice between the 1930s and 1940s. His career was defined by his famous rivalry with Fausto Coppi, a competition that divided and captivated all of Italy.
However, Bartali is remembered above all for his courage during World War II. In secret, he used his bicycle to transport forged documents hidden inside the frame, thereby saving hundreds of Jews from deportation. Bartali never spoke of these heroic actions during his lifetime, maintaining that “good is something you do, not something you talk about” (il bene si fa ma non si dice).
For his humanitarian efforts, he was declared Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem and received the Gold Medal for Civil Merit. He died in Florence in 2000, leaving behind an example of immense sportsmanship and humanity.
