Barletta Famous People By Ruggiero Calabrese & Vincenzo Mangino

 Giuseppe De Nittis  Ettore Fieramosca  Pietro Mennea

Giuseppe De Nittis was born in Barletta in 1846, he dedicated himself to composition in the open air (usually painted in Portici), specializing in the reproduction of Portici, Napoli and Barletta landscapes. In Florence, in 1866, he joined the Macchiaioli, and after touring Italy by touching Naples, Palermo, Barletta, Rome, Florence, Venice and Turin, in 1867 moved to Paris where he met Leontine Lucile Gruvelle and two years later they married. He touched the peak of his fame at an exibition in 1874, held in the studio of the photographer Nadar and commonly referred to as the date of birth of Impressionism. It was similar in certain characteristics to Macchiaioli and the Impressionists, but he always maintained an independence of style and content. He died in 1884 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, hit by a fulminant stroke. He is buried in Paris.

Self-portrait of Giuseppe De Nittis “Colazione in giardino”

Ettore Fieramosca (Capua, Valladolid, January 20, 1515) was an Italian leader; his name is linked historically to the famous Challenge of Barletta (1503). Fieramosca participated in expeditions and small ambushes conducted by the Spanish. It was because of one of these ambushes that the French knight Charles de Torgues, also called La Motte, was captured. Openly incited by the Spanish, he accused Italian knights, including the Fieramosca, of cowardice challenging them to a duel. So on February 13, 1503 thirteen Italian knights, led by Fieramosca, and as many French knights, led by La Motte, fought a duel in the famous Challenge of Barletta which saw the Spanish as winners. Arrived at Valladolid, seat of the court of the King of Spain, he died of an illness on January 20, 1515 at the age of 39 years.

Pietro Mennea was born in Barletta on 28 June in He has been an athlete and politician. He has been Olympic Champion in the 200 meter dash in Moscow in 1980 and he was so fast to earning the nickname of southern arrow. At the age of 15, he challenged and defeated in speed a Porsche and an Alfa Romeo on a 50 meters street in Barletta to earning 500 Lire and the he went to eat a sandwich. He wasn't only fast but also very smart. In fact, he gratuated 4 times after his career as an athlete and became an important iIalian politician. (Pietro Mennea in Moscow in 1980) (Pietro Mennea during a conference)

In 2006, he and his wife gave birth to Pietro Mennea Foundation, a not-for-profit association. The purpose of the association was to promote the spread of the sport and its values as well as the fight against doping. Mennea in mass culture On 21 March 2013, the same day of his death, the Italian State Railways have decided to name to him the first train Frecciarossa ETR-1000 which will start operating in 2014 and will be able to reach 400 km / h

Pietro Mennea He received two honors from the President of the Italian Republic: Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Commendatore Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana Grande Ufficiale dell'Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana And many other medals in the sport... In all, he won 6 bronze medals, 5 silver medals and 18 gold medals!