Silvio Astolfi was an Italian wizard who was one of the most revered broom fliers in Europe in the mid-18th century.
Biography
In 1754, Astolfi agreed to participate in a broom race from Aberdeen to Rome with the Scottish Torquil McTavish, his bitter rival.[1]
The race took place at night so as to avoid attracting the attention of Muggles. Reaching Rome at daybreak, Astolfi and McTavish were seen racing toward the finish line at the Colosseum, but at that point, a violent clash broke out between rival fans that had gathered there. During the course of the fight, Astolfi was turned into a chicken, and McTavish was hit with a spell that that left his knees back-to-front. The conflict culminated in an explosion that reduced the Colosseum to rubble.[1]
Thanks to Orabella Nuttley, who came forward and proceeded to fix a few columns with a spell of her own invention, the Mending Charm, the damage to the Colosseum had been undone by the time that Muggles roused from their beds by the sound of the explosion finally arrived up at the scene. All they found was a few strangely-dressed men attempting to quell Astolfi, who was agitated, and still stuck in the form of a chicken.[1]