During his youth he plays basketball and swims, a lot. One day his family moves to Modena (according to the official version for his father's work but the real reason is that no-one in Reggio can bear to look at his rounded skull any longer). During his second year in school he takes to volleyball and starts a brilliant career on the sidelines. It is in these sporting circles that he first gets the nickname Ventrix. His next move is from the bench onto the couch where he can be heard instructing the players of a variety of sports (volleyball, rugby, basketball and athletics to name a few) on tactics, scoring techniques and good play in general as his family looks on in silence. At the same time, despite a distinct lack of dedication, he gets his diploma in computer science which is still standing him credit. Like the great artists he goes through a number of periods - the "Irish period", the "Mediaeval one", the "Hemingway period" and the "African one" being the more memorable. He does his Military Service in the Alpini, the Italian Alpine Corps. His time in the army marks him for life, changing his one-time interest in mountaineering into a passion he still struggles to contain. And using the excuse of his joint interests (?!) in trekking and the First World War he drags his long-suffering wife and child (both of whom suffer from heights) around pinnacles and peaks in search of WW1 memorabilia.

* The inhabitants of Reggio Emilia are known locally as teste quadre - square heads. The name dates back to the Middle Ages when many towns and cities were at war with each other. When someone from an opposing faction captured a misfortunate Reggiano he was allegedly tortured by having head squashed in a square cage. On release both the shape and name held.