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Ancona
—  Comune  —
Città di Ancona
Aerial view of Ancona
Ancona Location of Ancona in Italy
Coordinates: 43°37′01″N 13°31′00″E / 43.61694°N 13.5166667°E / 43.61694; 13.5166667Coordinates: 43°37′01″N 13°31′00″E / 43.61694°N 13.5166667°E / 43.61694; 13.5166667
Country	Italy
Region	Marche
Province	Ancona (AN)
Frazioni	Aspio, Gallignano, Montacuto, Massignano, Montesicuro, Candia, Ghettarello, Paterno, Casine di Paterno, Poggio di Ancona, Sappanico, Varano
Government
• Mayor	Fiorello Gramillano (Democratic Party)
Area
• Total	123.71 km2 (47.76 sq mi)
Elevation	16 m (52 ft)
Population (31 August 2007)
• Total	101,210
• Density	820/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Demonym	Anconetani, Anconitani (English: anconitans)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	60100, from 60121 to 60129, 60131
Dialing code	071
Patron saint	Judas Cyriacus
Saint day	4 May
Website	Official website

Ancona ([aŋˈkoːna] ( listen), from Greek: Ἀγκών - Ankon) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 102,997 (2010). Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region.

The city is located 280 km (170 mi) northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic Sea, between the slopes of the two extremities of the promontory of Monte Conero, Monte Astagno and Monte Guasco.

Ancona is one of the main ports on the Adriatic Sea, especially for passenger traffic, and is the main economic and demographic centre of the region.

Climate[link]

The climate of Ancona is both Mediterranean and continental. Winters are quite cold (Jan. mean temp. +5°C), with frequent rain and fog. Low temperatures can reach -10°C outside the city centre. Snow is not unusual when the air masses come from the north or from the east, and can be heavy at times. Summers are warm (July mean temp. +22.5°C) and humid, especially by the sea. High temperatures sometimes reach +35°C / +40°C, especially when the wind blows from the south or the west (föhn effect). Thunderstorms are quite common, particularly in August and September. Spring and autumn are really changeable seasons, but generally mild.

History[link]

Historic map of Ancona by Piri Reis.

The Vanvitelli's Lazzaretto.

The portal of the church of San Francesco.

Ancona was founded by Greek settlers from Syracuse about 387 BC, who gave it its name: Ancona is a very slightly modified transliteration of the Greek Αγκων, meaning "elbow"; the harbour to the east of the town was originally protected only by the promontory on the north, shaped like an elbow. Greek merchants established a Tyrian purple dye factory here.^[1] In Roman times it kept its own coinage with the punning device of the bent arm holding a palm branch, and the head of Aphrodite on the reverse, and continued the use of the Greek language.

When it became a Roman colony is doubtful. It was occupied as a naval station in the Illyrian War of 178 BC.^[2] Julius Caesar took possession of it immediately after crossing the Rubicon. Its harbour was of considerable importance in imperial times, as the nearest to Dalmatia, and was enlarged by Trajan, who constructed the north quay with his Syrian architect Apollodorus of Damascus. At the beginning of it stands the marble triumphal arch with a single archway, and without bas-reliefs, erected in his honour in 115 by the Senate and Roman people.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Ancona was successively attacked by the Goths, Lombards and Saracens, but recovered its strength and importance. It was one of the cities of the Pentapolis under the Exarchate of Ravenna, an administrative unit of the Byzantine Empire.^[3] With the Carolingian conquest of northern Italy, it became the capital of the Marca di Ancona, whence the name of the modern region. After 1000, Ancona became increasingly independent, eventually turning into an important maritime republic (together with Gaeta, Trani and Ragusa, it is one of those not appearing on the Italian naval flag), often clashing against the nearby power of Venice. An oligarchic republic, Ancona was ruled by six Elders, elected by the three terzieri into which the city was divided: S. Pietro, Porto and Capodimonte. It had a coin of its own, the agontano, and a series of laws known as Statuti del mare e del Terzenale and Statuti della Dogana. Ancona was usually allied with Ragusa and the Byzantine Empire. In 1137, 1167 and 1174 it was strong enough to push back imperial forces. Anconitan ships took part in the Crusades, and their navigators included Cyriac of Ancona. In the struggle between the Popes and the Emperors that troubled Italy from the 12th century onwards, Ancona sided with the Guelphs.

Trade routes and warehouses of the maritime republic of Ancona

Differently from other cities of northern Italy, Ancona never became a seignory. The sole exception was the rule of the Malatesta, who took the city in 1348 taking advantage of the black death and of a fire that had destroyed many of its important buildings. The Malatesta were ousted in 1383. In 1532 it definitively lost its freedom and became part of the Papal States, under Pope Clement VII. Symbol of the papal authority was the massive Citadel. Together with Rome, and Avignon in southern France, Ancona was the sole city in the Papal States in which the Jews were allowed to stay after 1569, living in the ghetto built after 1555.

In 1733 Pope Clement XII extended the quay, and an inferior imitation of Trajan's arch was set up; he also erected a Lazaretto at the south end of the harbour, Luigi Vanvitelli being the architect-in-chief. The southern quay was built in 1880, and the harbour was protected by forts on the heights. From 1797 onwards, when the French took it, it frequently appears in history as an important fortress. Ancona entered in the Kingdom of Italy when Christophe Léon Louis Juchault de Lamoricière surrendered here on 29 September 1860, eleven days after his defeat at Castelfidardo.

During World War II, in July 1944, the city was taken by the Polish II Corps as part of an Allied operation to gain access to a seaport closer to the Gothic Line in order to shorten their lines of communication for the advance into northern Italy.

The Greek community of Ancona in the 16th century[link]

Ancona, as well as Venice, became a very important destination for merchants from the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century. The Greeks formed the largest of the communities of foreign merchants. They were refugees from former Byzantine or Venetian territories that were occupied by the Ottomans in the late 15th and 16th c. The first Greek community was established in Ancona early in the 16th c. Natalucci, the 17th c. historian of the city, notes the existence of 200 Greek families in Ancona at the opening of the 16th c. Most of them came from northwestern Greece, i.e. the Ionian islands and Epirus. In 1514, Dimitri Caloiri of Ioannina obtained reduced custom duties for Greek merchants coming from the towns of Ioannina, Arta and Avlona in Epirus. In 1518 a Jewish merchant of Avlona succeeded in lowering the duties paid in Ancona for all “the Levantine merchants, subjects to the Turk”.

In 1531 the Confraternity of the Greeks (Confraternita dei Greci) was established which included Orthodox and Catholic Greeks. They secured the use of the Church of St. Anna dei Greci and were granted permission to hold services according to the Greek and the Latin rite. The church of St. Anna had existed since the 13th c., initially as “Santa Maria in Porta Cipriana”, on ruins of the ancient Greek walls of Ancona.

In 1534 a decision by Pope Paul III favoured the activity of merchants of all nationalities and religions from the Levant and allowed them to settle in Ancona with their families. A Venetian travelling through Ancona in 1535 recorded that the city was “full of merchants from every nation and mostly Greeks and Turks”. In the second half of the 16th c., the presence of Greek and other merchants from the Ottoman Empire declined after a series of restrictive measures taken by the Italian authorities and the pope.

Disputes between the Orthodox and Catholic Greeks of the community were frequent and persisted until 1797 when the city was occupied by France who closed all the religious confraternities and confiscated the archive of the Greek community. The church of St. Anna dei Greci was re-opened to services in 1822. In 1835, in the absence of a Greek community in Ancona, it passed to the Latin Church.^[4][5]

Demographics[link]

In 2007, there were 101,480 people residing in Ancona (the greater area has a population more than four times its size), located in the province of Ancona, Marche, of whom 47.6% were male and 52.4% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 15.54 percent of the population compared to pensioners who number 24.06 percent. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06 percent (minors) and 19.94 percent (pensioners). The average age of Ancona resident is 48 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Ancona grew by 1.48 percent, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.56 percent.^[6][7] The current birth rate of Ancona is 8.14 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.

As of 2006, 92.77% of the population was Italian. The largest immigrant group came from other European nations (particularly those from Albania, Romania, Bangladesh and Ukraine): 3.14%, followed by the Americas: 0.93%, East Asia: 0.83%, and North Africa: 0.80%.

Main sights[link]

Cathedral church of S. Ciriaco[link]

The Cathedral of Ancona, dedicated to Judas Cyriacus, was consecrated at the beginning of the 11th century and completed in 1189.^[8] Some writers suppose that the original church was in the form of a basilica and belonged to the 7th century. An early restoration was completed in 1234. It is a fine Romanesque building in grey stone, built in the form of a Greek cross, and other elements of Byzantine art. It has a dodecagonal dome over the centre slightly altered by Margaritone d'Arezzo in 1270. The façade has a Gothic portal, ascribed to Giorgio da Como (1228), which was intended to have a lateral arch on each side.

A cannon situated near the Arch of Trajan, with the Cattedrale San Ciriaco visible in the background.

Gothic portal of the church of Sant'Agostino.

The interior, which has a crypt under each transept, in the main preserves its original character. It has ten columns which are attributed to the temple of Venus. The church was restored in the 1980s.

Other sights[link]

• The marble Arch of Trajan, 18 m high, erected in 114/115 as an entrance to the causeway atop the harbour wall in honour of the emperor who had made the harbour, is one of the finest Roman monuments in the Marche. Most of its original bronze enrichments have disappeared. It stands on a high podium approached by a wide flight of steps. The archway, only 3 m wide, is flanked by pairs of fluted Corinthian columns on pedestals. An attic bears inscriptions. The format is that of the Arch of Titus in Rome, but made taller, so that the bronze figures surmounting it, of Trajan, his wife Plotina and sister Marciana, would figure as a landmark for ships approaching Rome's greatest Adriatic port.
• The Lazzaretto (Laemocomium or "Mole Vanvitelliana"), planned by architect Luigi Vanvitelli in 1732 is a pentagonal building covering more than 20,000 m², built to protect the military defensive authorities from the risk of contagious diseases eventually reaching the town with the ships. Later it was used also as a military hospital or as barracks; it is currently used for cultural exhibits.
• The Episcopal Palace was the place where Pope Pius II died in 1464.
• The church of Santa Maria della Piazza, with an elaborate arcaded façade (1210).
• The Palazzo del Comune (or Palazzo degli Anziani - Elders palace), built in 1250, with lofty arched substructures at the back, was the work of Margaritone d'Arezzo, and has been restored twice.
• Church of San Francesco alle Scale
• Church of Sant'Agostino, built by the Augustinians in 1341 as Santa Maria del Popolo, and enlarged by Luigi Vanvitelli in the 18th century and turned into a palace after 1860. It has maintained the Gothic portal by Giorgio da Sebenico, with statues portraying St. Monica, St. Nicola da Tolentino, St. Simplicianus and Blessed Agostino Trionfi.
• Church of the Santi Pellegrino e Teresa (18th century)
• Church of the Santissimo Sacramento (16th and 18th century)

There are also several fine late Gothic buildings, including the Palazzo Benincasa, the Palazzo del Senato and the Loggia dei Mercanti, all by Giorgio da Sebenico, and the prefecture, which has Renaissance additions.

The National Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale) is housed in the Palazzo Ferretti, built in the late Renaissance by Pellegrino Tibaldi; it preserves frescoes by Federico Zuccari. The Museum is divided into several sections:

• prehistoric section, with palaeolithic and neolithic artefacts, objects of the Copper Age and of the Bronze Age
• protohistoric section, with the richest existing collection of the Picenian civilization; the section includes a remarkable collection of Greek ceramics
• Greek-Hellenistic section, with coins, inscriptions, glassware and other objects from the necropolis of Ancona
• Roman section, with a statue of Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, carved sarcophagi and two Roman beds with fine decorations in ivory
• rich collection of ancient coins (not yet exposed)

The port of Ancona

The Municipal Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Civica) "Francesco Podesti" is housed in the Palazzo Bosdari, reconstructed in 1558 - 1561 by Pellegrino Tibaldi. Works in the gallery include:

• Circumcision, Dormitio Virginis and Crowned Virgin, by Olivuccio di Ciccarello
• Madonna with Child, panel by Carlo Crivelli
• Gozzi Altarpiece by Titian
• Sacra Conversazione by Lorenzo Lotto
• Portrait of Francesco Arsilli by Sebastiano Del Piombo
• Circumcision by Orazio Gentileschi
• Immaculate Conception and St. Palazia by Guercino
• Four Saints in Ecstasis, Panorama of Ancona in the sixteenth century and Musician Angels by Andrea Lillio

Other artists present include Ciro Ferri and Arcangelo di Cola (fl. 1416-1429). Modern artists featured are Bartolini, Bucci, Campigli, Cassinari, Cucchi, Levi, Sassu, Tamburi, Trubbiani, Francesco Podesti and others.

Angelo Messi, ancestor of famous football star Lionel Messi, emigrated from Ancona to Rosario, Argentina in the 1880s.

Transportation[link]

Shipping[link]

The Port has regular ferry links to the following cities with the following operators:

• Adria Ferries (Durrës)
• Blue Line International (Split, Stari Grad, Vis)
• Jadrolinija (Split, Zadar)
• SNAV (Split) (seasonal)
• Superfast Ferries (Igoumenitsa, Patras)
• ANEK Lines (Igoumenitsa, Patras)
• Minoan Lines (Igoumenitsa, Patras)
• Marmara Lines (Cesme)

Airport[link]

Ancona is served by Ancona Airport (IATA: AOI, ICAO: LIPY), an airport located in Falconara Marittima and named after Raffaello Sanzio.

Railways[link]

The Ancona railway station is the main railway station of the city and is served by regional and long distance trains. The other stations are Ancona Marittima, Ancona Torrette, Palombina and Varano.

Roads[link]

The A14 motorway serves the city with the exits "Ancona Nord" (An. North) and "Ancona Sud" (An. South).

Urban public transportation[link]

The Ancona trolleybus system has been in operation since 1949. Ancona is also served by an urban bus network.

International relations[link]

Twin towns – Sister cities[link]

Ancona is twinned with:

See also[link]

• Maritime republics
• Biblioteca comunale Luciano Benincasa
• U.S. Ancona 1905
• History of A.C. Ancona
• Stadio del Conero

Notes[link]

References[link]

Notes[link]

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ancona

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Ancona.

• Official Site
• Marche Tourism site
• Photos: sauromarini.it, antoniomucherino.it
• Ancona, a breed of chicken named after the Italian city
• Site with photo, guides and forum
• Wine and Fish in the city of Ancona
• The Jewish Community of Ancona
• A little English Guide website made by the people of Ancona, to show another point of view

v t e Maritime republics Duchy of Amalfi • Republic of Ancona • Republic of Genoa • Republic of Pisa • Republic of Ragusa • Republic of Venice

Ronni Ancona (born 4 July 1968, Troon, Ayrshire) is a Scottish actress, impressionist and author. Ancona won the Best TV Comedy Actress award at the 2003 British Comedy Awards for her work in Big Impression.

Career[link]

Ancona made a one-off appearance on Blue Peter in 1986 while she was still at school,^[1] but only became a household name as a result of appearing in the BBC's Big Impression alongside Alistair McGowan.

Her comedy career started on the comedy circuit and she won the Time Out Hackney Empire New Act of the Year in 1993. She worked extensively in radio and television before becoming a household name in the BAFTA award winning^[2] The Big Impression for which she won a British Comedy Award^[3] and Variety Club Award.

As part of BBC's Big Read she promoted The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.^[4]

Before Big Impression, Ancona had featured in films and TV shows, such as Fist of Fun, for many years, as well as performing stand-up comedy. She also appeared in the first series of The Sketch Show.

In 2005 she played Barbara, opposite Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson and Emily Blunt in Stephen Poliakoff's Gideon's Daughter on BBC One.

She was Beline in Molière's The Hypochondriac at the Almeida Theatre.

She has appeared five times on the BBC celebrity panel show QI. She won episode four of series four ('Dictionaries') in October 2006, won again in the first episode of series six in November 2008 ('Family'), won on the women's team with Sandi Toksvig in January 2010, and came last in November 2011 ('Infantile'). In November 2006 she was a guest presenter of Have I Got News For You. She has also appeared on the Channel 4 comedy show TV Heaven, Telly Hell discussing her preferences in television shows.

In December 2006 she revealed herself as a fan of Strictly Come Dancing and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.

In 2007, following a successfully received pilot, the BBC commissioned a new comedy sketch series titled Ronni Ancona & Co consisting of her own material and co-starring Phil Cornwell, Jan Ravens and John Sessions. The show initially aired on 25 May 2007 and had three episodes.

In 2008 Ancona appeared in the film Penelope as Wanda.

Ancona appeared as the mother of Katie and Emily Fitch in the third and fourth series of Skins.

In 2009 Ancona appeared in Hope Springs on BBC 1. She was one of eight main cast members.

On 24 July 2009, Ancona appeared on The One Show, and she appeared on it again, with Alistair McGowan, on 16 October 2009.

In April 2010, Ancona appeared on A Comedy Roast, celebrating Sharon Osbourne's life.

In 2009 her first book A Matter Of Life And Death: How To Wean A Man Off Football was published by Faber & Faber.^[5]

Appearances[link]

[edit] Television^[6]

[edit] Film^[6]

Radio[link]

Theatre[link]

Personal life[link]

Ancona was born in Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland and is of Italian and Jewish descent.^[7] In the programme "Comedy Map of Britain", she returned to her old school in Troon and talked about her earliest comedy performing experience as part of an improvisation group called "Pots People".^[8] She had a seven-year relationship with Alistair McGowan which ended shortly before they started working together professionally. Ancona is married with two daughters and lives in west London.^[9]

References[link]

External links[link]

• "Ronni Ancona". Comedy guide. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/talent/a/ancona_ronni.shtml. 
• Ronni Ancona at the Internet Movie Database
• Ronni Ancona on Twitter

Andie MacDowell
MacDowell at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Rosalie Anderson MacDowell (1958-04-21) April 21, 1958 (age 54) Gaffney, South Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1984–present
Spouse	Paul Qualley (1986–99) Rhett Hartzog (2001–04)
Children	Justin Qualley (b. 1986) Rainey Qualley (b. 1989) Sarah Margaret Qualley (b. 1995)

Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell (born April 21, 1958) is an American model and actress. She has received the Goldene Kamera and an Honorary César.

Early life[link]

Andie MacDowell was born in Gaffney, South Carolina, the daughter of Pauline "Paula" Johnston (née Oswald), a music teacher, and Marion St. Pierre MacDowell, a lumber executive.^[1][2] She is of part Scottish descent.^[3] Her family owned an Antebellum period summer house in Arden, North Carolina, which has since been made into a bed-and-breakfast named the Blake House Inn. Graffiti from her childhood visits is preserved in an upstairs bedroom closet. She attended Winthrop College for two years before moving briefly to Columbia, South Carolina. There she worked two jobs; one in a clothing boutique and the other in a restaurant/bar called "Stage Door". "Rosie," as she was known locally, lived with her sister, Beverly, and saved all her money so she could move to New York City and start her career.^{[says who?]} She was initially spotted by a rep from Wilhelmina Models while on a trip to Los Angeles before she would later sign with Elite Model Management in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

MacDowell at Cannes Film Festival, 2001

In the early 1980s, MacDowell modelled for Vogue magazine and appeared in ad campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Vassarette, Armani perfume, Sabeth-Row, Mink International, Anne Klein and Bill Blass. She worked with such esteemed photographers as Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn and Herb Ritts among others.^{[citation needed]} A series of billboards in Times Square and national television commercials for Calvin Klein drew attention to her and led to her 1984 film debut in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, a role in which her lines were dubbed by Glenn Close because her southern accent was too pronounced for her to play the role of an Englishwoman.^[4] In 1985, she had a small part in St. Elmo's Fire.

MacDowell studied method acting with teachers from the Actors Studio, in addition to working privately with the renowned coach Harold Guskin.^{[citation needed]} Four years later, director Steven Soderbergh cast her in the independent film Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989). Her performance earned her an Independent Spirit Award, a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, several other award nominations and led to a series of starring roles in films such as Green Card, The Object of Beauty, and Short Cuts. In the 1990s, MacDowell achieved stardom due to the box office success of the 1993 comedy by Harold Ramis, Groundhog Day, and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), opposite Hugh Grant. Groundhog Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral remain MacDowell's biggest box office hits.

Since 1986, MacDowell has appeared in print and television advertisements for the cosmetic and haircare company L'Oréal.

In September 2010, MacDowell joined the cast of Fox's drama series Lone Star,^[5] which was canceled after two aired episodes due to low ratings.

In 2012 she is playing in the TV series Jane by Design.

Personal life[link]

MacDowell was married from 1986 to 1999 to fellow former model and rancher Paul Qualley, whom she met while both were posing for Gap ads. The couple have a son, Justin, and two daughters, Rainey (Miss Golden Globe 2012^[6]) and Sarah Margaret.^[7] She was married to businessman Rhett Hartzog from 2001 to 2004.^[7]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Andie MacDowell

• Andie MacDowell at the Internet Movie Database
• E!Online 1999 article and interview

Kaká

Kaká with Real Madrid playing a match against CSKA Moscow in February 2012
Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
Date of birth	(1982-04-22) 22 April 1982 (age 30)[1]
Place of birth	Brasilia, Brazil[1]
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Real Madrid
Number	8
Youth career
1994–2000	São Paulo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2003	São Paulo	59	(23)
2003–2009	Milan	193	(70)
2009–	Real Madrid	65	(20)
National team‡
2002–	Brazil	82	(27)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:04, 5 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 July 2010

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁiˈkaɾdu iˈzɛksõw duˈsɐ̃tus ˈlejtʃi]; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká (Portuguese: [kaˈka] ( listen)), is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid^[3] and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club. At the time, he also played tennis,^[4] and it was not until he moved on to São Paulo FC and signed his first professional contract with the club at the age of 15 that he chose to focus on football.

In 2003 he joined Milan for a fee of €8.5 million. While at Milan, Kaká won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007. After his success with Milan, Kaká joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of €65 million, second only to that of Zinedine Zidane, €75 million. Later Real Madrid transferred Cristiano Ronaldo for a fee of €96 million, setting a new transfer fee record, making Kaka's fee the third highest ever. In addition to his contributions on the pitch, Kaká is known for his humanitarian work. In 2004, by the time of his appointment, he became the youngest ambassador of the UN World Food Programme.^[5] Kaka is the first sportsperson to amass 10 million followers in twitter.^[6]

Early life[link]

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite was born in Brasilia, in Brazil, to Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite (a civil engineer) and Simone dos Santos (an elementary school teacher).^[7] He had a financially secure upbringing that allowed him to focus on both school and football at the same time.^[8] His younger brother Rodrigo (best known as Digão) and cousin Eduardo Delani are also professional footballers.

When he was seven, Kaká's family moved to São Paulo.^[9] His school had arranged him in a local youth club called "Alphaville," who qualified to the final in a local tournament.^[10] There he was discovered by hometown club São Paulo FC, who offered an assignment.^[11]

At the age of 18, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spinal fracture as a result of a swimming pool accident,^[12][13] but remarkably made a full recovery. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.^[13]

Club career[link]

São Paulo[link]

Kaká began his career with São Paulo at the age of eight. He signed a contract at fifteen and led the São Paulo youth squad to Copa de Juvenil glory. He made his senior side debut on 1 Feb 2001 and scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Torneio Rio-São Paulo championship, in which he scored two goals in two minutes as a substitute against Botafogo in the final, which São Paulo won 2–1.

He scored 10 goals in 22 matches the following season, and by this time his performance was soon attracting attention from European clubs. Kaká made a total of 58 appearances for São Paulo, scoring 23 times.^[14]

Milan[link]

Kaká

Kaká and former Brazilian President Lula.

The steady European interest in Kaká culminated in his signing with Italian club AC Milan in 2003 for a fee of €8.5 million, described in retrospect as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi.^[15] Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, and his Serie A debut was in a 2–0 win over Ancona. He scored 10 goals in 30 appearances that season, as Milan won the Scudetto and the UEFA Super Cup.

Kaká was a part of the five-man midfield in the 2004–05 season, usually playing in a withdrawn role behind striker Andriy Shevchenko. He scored seven goals in 36 domestic appearances as Milan finished runner-up in the Scudetto race. Despite Milan losing the 2004–05 Champions League final to Liverpool on penalties, Kaká was still voted the best midfielder of the tournament.

2005–06 saw Kaká score his first hat-tricks in domestic competition. On 9 April 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo; all three goals were scored in the second half. The following season, he scored his first Champions League hat-trick in a 4–1 group stage win over the Belgian side Anderlecht.

Andriy Shevchenko's departure to Chelsea for the 2006–07 season allowed Kaká to become the focal point of Milan's offense as he alternated between the midfield and striker positions. He finished as the top scorer in the 2006–07 Champions League campaign with ten goals. One of them helped the Rossoneri eliminate Celtic in the quarter-finals on a 1–0 aggregate, and three others proved fatal for Manchester United in the semi-finals, despite Milan losing the first leg.

Kaká in Moscow

Kaká added the Champions League title to his trophy case for the first time when Milan defeated Liverpool on 23 May 2007. Though he went scoreless, he won a free kick that led to the first of Filippo Inzaghi's two goals, and provided the assist for the second. For his stellar play throughout the competition, he was voted the Vodafone Fans' Player of the Season in a poll of over 100,000 UEFA.com visitors. On 30 August, Kaká was named by UEFA as both the top forward of the 2006–07 Champions League season and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.^[16]

Kaká with Milan

He played his 200th career match with Milan in a 1–1 home draw with Catania on 30 September, and on 5 October, he was named the 2006–07 FIFPro World Player of the Year. On 2 December 2007, Kaká became the eighth Milan player to win the Ballon d'Or, as he finished with a decisive 444 votes, long ahead of runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo.^[17] He signed a contract extension through 2013 with Milan on 29 February 2008.^[18]

Due to his contributions on and off the pitch, Time magazine named Kaká in the Time 100, a list of the world's 100 most influential people, on 2 May.^[19] On 14 October, he cast his footprints into the Estádio do Maracanã's sidewalk of fame, in a section dedicated to the memory of the country's top players.^[20] He won the honor again in 2009.^[21]

BBC reported on 13 January 2009 that Manchester City made a bid for Kaká for over £100 million. Milan director Umberto Gandini replied that Milan would only discuss the matter if Kaká and Manchester City agreed to personal terms.^[22] Kaká initially responded by telling reporters he wanted to "grow old" at Milan and dreamed of captaining the club one day, but later said, "If Milan want to sell me, I’ll sit down and talk. I can say that as long as the club don’t want to sell me, I'll definitely stay."^[23] On 19 January, Silvio Berlusconi announced that Manchester City had officially ended their bid after a discussion between the clubs, and that Kaká would remain with Milan.^[24] Milan supporters had protested outside the club headquarters earlier that evening, and later chanted outside Kaká's home, where he saluted them by flashing his jersey outside a window.^[25]

Real Madrid[link]

Kaká during his presentation with Real Madrid

Kaká with Real Madrid against Tottenham in the UEFA Champions League

On 3 June 2009, Football Italia reported that newly-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez had offered Milan a €68.5 million deal for Kaká,^[26] two days after the player had left for international duty with Brazil.^[27] Milan vice president Adriano Galliani did not deny the reports, and confirmed that he and Kaká's father, Bosco Leite, had traveled to Mexico to meet with La Volpe. "We had lunch and spoke about Kaká. I don't deny it. Negotiations exist, but a deal has yet to be done."^[28] On 4 June, Galliani told Gazzetta dello Sport that financial reasons were his motive for the talks with La Volpe. "We cannot allow [Milan] to lose €70 million [...] The reasons behind Kaká's departure would be economic."^[28] On 8 June, Milan and Real Madrid confirmed Kaká has moved to the Bernabéu on a six-year deal.^[29]

Kaká made his unofficial debut on 7 August 2009, in a 5–1 friendly victory against Toronto FC.^[30] He scored his first goal for Madrid during a pre-season match on 19 August 2009, in a 5–0 victory against Borussia Dortmund.^[31] Kaká later made his league debut on 29 August 2009 in a 3–2 win against Deportivo La Coruña.^[32] He scored his first goal, a penalty kick, on 23 September, in a 2–0 against Villarreal.^[33] On 5 August 2010, Real Madrid announced that Kaká had undergone a successful surgery on a long-standing left knee injury and would face up to four months on the sidelines.^[34] Kaká returned to training after a long lay-off and manager Jose Mourinho said that having Kaká back was like a new signing.^[35][36]

Kaká with Real Madrid

After an eight-month absence, Kaká returned to play by entering as a substitute for Karim Benzema on the 77th minute of a 3–2 victory over Getafe on 3 January 2011. He said he was "(...) happy for playing a game again and for stepping onto a pitch."^[37] His first league goal (and his first of the season) after his return from injury came with an assist from Cristiano Ronaldo on a 4–2 victory over Villareal on 9 January.^[38]

In March 2011 Kaká suffered from Iliotibial band syndrome which kept him sidelined for a few weeks. After returning from injury, he appeared in a convincing win over Valencia, scoring two goals.

On 27 September, Kaká experienced one of his best matches as a Real Madrid player during a 3–0 victory over Ajax in the Champions League, as he scored one goal, provided one assist and participated in one of the best team build-ups of the matchday: a counterattacking move involving Özil, Ronaldo and Benzema.^[39] He was later chosen the best player of the Champions League Matchday.^[40]

With this match, Kaká experienced one of the best starts to a season he's ever had, scoring two goals, serving two assists and provoking one penalty for his team.^[41]

International career[link]

Kaká with Brazil

Kaká was called up for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, but the Brazilians crashed out to Ghana in the quarter-finals. Several months later, he made his debut for the senior Brazil squad in a friendly match against Bolivia on 31 January 2002. He was part of the 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, but played only 25 minutes,^[42] all of which were in the first round match against Costa Rica.

In 2003, Kaká was the captain for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, where Brazil, competing with their under-23 team, finished as runner-up to Mexico. He scored three goals during the tournament. He was included in Brazil's squad for 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup in Germany. He appeared in all five matches and scored one goal in a 4–1 win over Argentina in the final.

Kaká started in his first FIFA World Cup finals in 2006 and scored his first and only goal of the tournament in Brazil's 1–0 victory over Croatia in Brazil's opener, for which he was named Man of the Match.^[43] He was unable to keep up the momentum for the remainder of the tournament, as Brazil was eliminated by France in the quarter-finals. In a friendly against rivals Argentina on 3 September 2006, after entering as a substitute, he received the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick and outran Lionel Messi while taking the ball down three quarters of the field to score.^[44]

On 12 May 2007, citing an exhaustive schedule of Serie A, Champions League, and national team play, Kaká bowed out of the 2007 Copa América, which Brazil won.^[45] After missing out on the Copa América, he returned to play in Brazil's friendly match against Algeria on 22 August 2007.

Kaká participated in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, marking his first international tournament since the 2006 World Cup. His only two goals came in Brazil's group stage opener against Egypt on 14 June, when he scored a goal in the fifth minute and then added a 90th-minute penalty in Brazil's 4–3 victory.^[46] He received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament at the Confederations Cup and was also named the Man of the Match in the final after helping Brazil to a 3–2 win against the United States.^[47][48][49]

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, during the 20 June match against Côte d'Ivoire, Kaká received a red card after receiving two yellow cards. The second card was given for an elbow in the direction of Abdul Kader Keïta. Kaká ended the tournament with three assists in total, and Brazil eventually ended up losing 2–1 to the Netherlands.

After more than one year absence from the national team, Kaká was recalled on 27 October 2011 for the friendly matches against Gabon and Egypt in November.^[50] He later had to be removed from the squad due to an injury, and thus didn't play either of the matches.

Personal life[link]

Kaká with his wife Caroline

Kaká's boots