Nicola Legrottaglie was born in Gioia del Colle, near Bari, on October 20 1976.
His dad Pietro works in an office, while mum Lucia is a housewife. He has a sister, Celeste; he's very fond of her and of his two magnificent nieces: Vanessa and Aurora.
He achieved a regular Surveyor diploma and the subject he preferred at school was English.

In his free time he loves listening to some good music – Michael Bolton and Gabrielle are his favourite artists –, watching a little television and reading.
His favourite film is Legends of the Fall, whilst the actor he watches with more interest is Al Pacino. His favourite book? The Holy Bible, thanks to which he rediscovered the joy of living and love for his fellow man.

His favourite dish is the Genovese-style pasta that his mum cooks for him when he returns home. This isn't the traditional pesto sauce from Liguria, but a sauce with undressed ground meat. Nicola considers wine a fundamental ingredient for eating well, and he's quite the connoisseur. His favourite? A wine called Primitivo.

He always chooses his clothing style according to the situation: elegant for dinners and nights out with friends, more casual and comfortable for the days when he has to train. He's particularly fond of trainers.

Nicola, or “the Duke”, as his team mates have nicknamed him, keenly follows all sports. When he's home he likes to watch volleyball and tennis on television. His all-time idol has always been Ivan Lendl, the great Czech tennis player.

He began playing football at a very young age, at Inter Club Mottola, as a midfielder. He remembers fondly his Youth Academy years and the three coaches who helped him grow the most as a player: Rogante, Lentini and Greco. When he joined Pistoiese, Manager Catuzzi started employing him as a central defender.
His fondest memory at Juventus is definitely the victory in the 2003 Italian Super Cup and the memory of his first goal for the National team still gives him the chills too.