Wolfang Amadeus Mozart
Speaking of historical characters who love animals, a topic that is particularly close to my heart and which, in fact, I have dealt with several times in my blog, on the latest issue of the magazine Focus History ( 112, February 2016 ) I found a nice list that includes some famous personalities of the past and their respective and extravagant animals, not the classic dogs and cats, but rather uncommon species to keep at home (or in the palace):you can find the list of followed.
The great Austrian musician Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, for a few years, he enjoyed the company of a starling purchased by him in 1784; it seems that the nice and melodious little bird has even inspired him some works.
To Lorenzo the Magnificent, undisputed lord of Renaissance Florence, a giraffe was given as a gift who, however, had no luck:shortly after his arrival, in fact, the animal got stuck in the stable, broke its neck and died.
Thomas Jefferson
To Henry III of England , in 1254, an elephant was donated by the then king of France.
To the Queen of England Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and Anna Bolena , a small guinea pig was given as a gift coming from South America, where these rodents were considered edible and regularly eaten at the table, but the sovereign kept it for company.
Giuseppina Beauharnais, first and never forgotten wife of Napoleon, she loved animals very much, but the one "of the heart" was an orangutan female that she kept with her for years.
Knowing his passion for the west, Captain Zebulon Pike donated to US President Thomas Jefferson a grizzly.
And what about Lord Byron ?
When he lived at Trinity College of Cambridge, where it was forbidden to keep dogs, the writer had to fall back on ... a bear.
The irreproachable French general Lafayette, incredible to say, he kept a alligator in his bathtub with which he enjoyed scaring guests.
In 1513 the king Manuel I of Portugal , as a sign of fidelity to the Catholic Church, he gave to Pope Leo X a magnificent example of white elephant .
The Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) worshiped a ' moose who in practice considered a family member; the unfortunate animal, who had been perfectly trained, died falling down the stairs.