Giuseppe Castorina

Giuseppe Castorina from Sicily studied medicine and graduated in Bologna in 1909. He entered a career as an army doctor and was promoted to a full medical lieutenant in 1911. As early as 1903, he won his first fencing tournament and claimed several victories in major tournaments on his home island with foil and épée. After winning an international fencing tournament with the two weapons in Rome he was selected to represent Italy at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. Castorina, however, was unable to attend the Games because he was detached to Al-Khums in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War (1911-12). He was attached to the Italian Bersaglieri troops and was awarded the medal for military valour. Castorina stayed in Libya for two years and eventually managed the infectious diseases department in Benghazi.

In fencing, he became a student of master Salvatore Arista in Bologna. In 1914, Castorina won the Italian amateur championships with the foil. He then served in World War I and died in a field hospital from an illness.