Since the 13th century, the triskelion is considered the emblem of the island of Sicily - the symbol of three running legs. It is surprising that it was here on May 18, 1889 that the three-legged Francesco Lentini, the future famous circus performer, was destined to be born.
Francesco's parents had twelve children, but only he, the fifth, had such an unusual appearance. The boy had three legs, four feet (one barely formed, was at the knee of the third leg), sixteen toes and two penises.
The additional limbs were supposed to belong to the boy's twin, but of the two embryos in the womb, only one was fully formed, and the brother's legs were connected to Francesco's spine.
By the end of the 19th century, such cases were described in the medical literature, but surgeons could not help the boy: the operation would threaten him with paralysis or even death.
The parents abandoned the child, and his aunt, having taken up the upbringing of Francesco, soon transferred him to an orphanage. Oddly enough, this event became a lesson for the boy to love for life - seeing his peers, deprived of limbs, Francesco got rid of hostility to his own body.
“Since then I have never complained again. I considered life beautiful and enjoyed it,”Lentini said, recalling his childhood.
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The boy learned to run, jump rope, skate and bike, and even play football. All these skills came in handy when he moved to the United States and joined the circus troupe, changing his name to "Frank".
Biographical articles mention Lentini's inherent sense of humor and charm. Having matured, he began to entertain the audience not only with tricks, but also with a light witty conversation. For example, to the usual question from the audience - "How do you buy a set of three shoes?" - Frank replied: "I take two pairs, and I give the fourth shoe to a one-legged friend."
The artist was married twice and became the father of four perfectly healthy children. Having gained universal recognition, Lentini remained a sought-after artist until his last day. He met death in the seventy-eighth year of life.
