If you happen to travel on Tuscan back roads on a sunny day, chances are you'll bump into a group of cycling enthusiasts. The love story between this land and the bicycle dates back to the glory days of the sport, when it was the most popular in the land. While the names of the champions are known by almost everyone, not many know that probably the greatest of the lot, Gino Bartali, was responsible for saving more than 800 Jewish Italians from deportation during the German occupation. Cycling alone between Assisi, Florence and Rome, knowing full well that if discovered he would be executed on the spot, the champion just did his part. The most extraordinary part of his story is that he didn't say a word about it until his death in 2000, when details of his work with the resistance finally came into light. Why he didn't say anything? According to him, "good deeds are better left unspoken" and that was the end of it. For him, cycling was a way to keep in touch with God and express his profound Catholic faith. Bartali, who became a figurehead for traditional values in the years after WW2, remained extremely humble and true to his values until the very end. That's maybe why an Italian bishop initiated three years ago the process of beatification of the Tuscan champion. Will there soon be a day dedicated to Saint Gino Bartali, patron saint of sportsmen? No one knows. One thing is sure: people will keep on talking about the grumpy Florentine champion for a long time. What do you think about this story? Let us know by joining the conversation on social media:
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LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.famigliacristiana.it/articolo/gino-bartali-nelle-parole-del-figlio-mio-padre-un-giusto.aspx
https://www.elasticinterface.com/it/magazine/gino-bartali-shoah/
https://thevision.com/cultura/gino-bartali-ebrei/
https://www.viaggiatoriignoranti.it/2021/05/gino-bartali-il-giusto-e-lattivita-a-favore-degli-oppressi.html
https://www.osservatoreromano.va/it/news/2021-10/quo-246/gino-bartali-beato.html
https://www.tempi.it/bartali-yad-vashem-giusto-nazioni-firenze-seconda-guerra-mondiale-ebrei-salvati-bicicletta/
http://osservatorioglobalizzazione.it/dossier/ritratti/bartali-ciclismo-italia/
https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/gino-bartali-l-angelo-due-ruote-AFW33kK?refresh_ce=1
https://www.ildubbio.news/2020/05/05/ginettaccio-il-campione-che-salvava-gli-ebrei-nascondendo-carte-nella-bici/
https://www.bicidastrada.it/gino-bartali-beato/

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: A Slave to Nothing (Instrumental)
Author: Pipe Choir
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Links: https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-a-slave-to-nothing-instrumental
http://www.pipechoir.com/