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The story from the beginning  Stefano is born in Milano on May 24th 1960; as only child he has a tranquil and light-hearted childhood; his parents, who are launderers, allow him to do everything he likes, indulging every visible whim and wish. Stubborn and strong-willed he drives his grandmother, who brought him up, to despair. He’s unrestrainable, he can’t simply be seated for long at his desk
The Milanese environment that greets him is a suburban one, Via Padova, one of the many Case di Ringhiera inhabited by the last aged of the town who’ll leave their homes after death to the emigrants arriving in Milano in those years. Stefano’s father, Mario, is one of them, come from the Toscana at the beginning of the Fifties to seek his fortune  Behind the house there’s the Trotter, a public school unique in Milano, plunged into a great park obtained from which what was up to the beginning of the century a track for the training of horses… The school building would replace the stables and emulate their shape during the Fascism period, maintaining the name of heliotherapeutic camp when Stefano’s attending the kindergarden.
The life passes quietly, without distress and troubles, no death marks Stefano’s existence which is so like that of his playfellows but also so different, spent in the courtyard and in the garden patch of the park, on the sidewalk in Via Padova, a narrow and long escape towards the bright horizon, visibly framing the Alps in the clear days. The years in the primary school pass quickly, all runs without problems and as a gift for the 14th birthday Stefano gets Dox, a German shepherd dog, who’ll accompany him during the whole adolescence, loving him deeply and tenaciously. The fellows of the childhood will desappear and it will be just Dox who’ll take the place they left in Stefano’s life.  The class 1B at the High-School Liceo Scientifico Alessandro Volta is composed from 30 fellows, a very strict selection allows only 13 of them up to the 5th class, the relationship to some of the teacher is very sharp and conflicting, yet the way of looking at things of Paola Nasso, the drawing teacher, makes Stefano love the subject of her teaching: orthogonal projections, axonometries and perspectives keep him busy and satisfy his desire of perfection; history of arts as it is taught by her in so an engaging and unconventional way does captivate him.
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