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for printing| Niccolo Fontana, known as Tartaglia, was born in
Brescia in 1499 or 1500, the son of an honest mail rider Michele
Fontana who was known as 'Micheletto the Rider'. Micheletto
would ride his horse between Brescia and other towns in the
district making deliveries. Although he was poor, Micheletto did
his best for his wife, daughter and two sons, and Niccolo
attended school from the age of about four years. Life might
have been very different for Niccolo had tragedy not come when
he was six years old, for at that time his father was murdered
while out making deliveries. From being a child in a poor
family, he was suddenly plunged into total poverty. Niccolo was
nearly killed as a teenager when, in 1512, the French captured
his home town and put it to the sword. The French army was
commanded by Gaston de Foix and they had suffered humiliation at
the hands of some