Alessandro Guidoni (July 15, 1880 – April 27, 1928) served as ageneral in theRegia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force).Guidonia Montecelio, the small town andcomune where he died while testing a newparachute, was named after him in 1937.

Allessandro Guidoni
Born	(1880-07-15)July 15, 1880 Turin,Italy
Died	April 27, 1928(1928-04-27) (aged 47) Montecelio, Italy
Allegiance	Italy
Service/ branch	Italian Royal Army Military Aviation Corps Italian Royal Air Force
Years of service	early 1900s–1928
Rank	General
Battles / wars	Italo-Turkish War World War I
Awards	Gold Medal for Aeronautic Valor

Guidoni was born inTurin,Italy, on 15 July 1880. He obtained his degree inengineering at theTurin Polytechnic in 1903 and in 1905, while serving in the Navy Engineering Corps, took his second degree in naval engineering. In 1909 he developed a keen interest in the newbornCorpo Aeronautico Militare ("Military Aviation Corps") of theRegio Esercito (Italian Royal Army), joining many aviation pioneers.

Guidoni served in theItalo-Turkish War of 1911-1912 as a pilot trainee, soon achieving a full certification and flying "hydroplanes" (seaplanes). He then started studying weaponry and developed a newgyroscope-guided bomb to be delivered by planes against distant targets. In 1912, as acaptain, he experimented with the air-launching oftorpedoes by dropping weights from aFarmanbiplane.^[1] He also drew the plans of theseaplane carrierEuropa, which entered service with theRegia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) in 1915.^[2]

In 1920, Guidoni joined the ItalianEmbassy inLondon asmilitary attaché with the rank ofcolonel. When theCorpo Aeronautico Militare separated from the army in 1923 to become an independent service, theRegia Aeronautica, he became a member of the new service, and achieved the rank of general.

On the morning of 27 April 1928, being dissatisfied with its design, Guidoni tested personally a new model of parachute at theRegia Aeronautica airfield atMontecelio, Italy, and was fatally injured when it failed.^{[citation needed]}

Guidoni posthumously received theMedaglia d’Oro al Valore aeronautico ("Gold Medal for Aeronautic Valor").

The thirdDornier Do Xflying boat built, theX3, registered as I-ABBN, was namedAlessandro Guidoni in Guidoni's honor, and entered service in May, 1932. A private airline,Società Anonima di Navigazione Aerea (SANA) flew it initially; theRegia Aeronautica later operated it.

In the 1930s a town was built around the airfield at Montecelio to house military personnel.Benito Mussolini, the ItalianDuce, laid the town's founding stone on 27 April 1935, the seventh anniversary of Guidoni's death. In 1937, Montecelio and the surroundingcomune were renamedGuidonia Montecelio in Guidoni's honor.

Only a military airfield exists at Guidonia Montecelio today, but a memorial to Guidonia stands on the exact spot where he died in front of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.

Guidoni's passion for flight was celebrated publicly by GeneralErmanno Aloia of theAeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) celebrated Guidoni's passion for flight 26 April 2006 with these words: “A perfect fusion of military engineer and scientist, General Guidoni (ITAF) represents more than anyone else in our country the passion of man to conquer space, reach other planets, and investigate stars.”

Gold Medal for Aeronautic Valor

• Alessandro Guidoni, Aviazione, idroaviazione : origine, storia, sviluppi, dagli albori alle traversate aeree dell'Atlantico : note, documenti, disegni, progetti, studi, esperienze ideate ed effettuate dall'eroico generale Alessandro Guidoni raccolte ordinate da Guido Mattioli, Roma, Pinciana, a. XIII dell'E.F. (1935/36)
• Intervento del gen. Isp. Capo Ermanno Aloia alla cerimonia di commemorazione del gen. Guidoni del 26 aprile 2006
• Portale Aeronautica Militale Italiana
• hazegray.org World Aircraft Carriers List: Italy
• Chant, Chris.The World's Great Bombers. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2000.ISBN 0-7607-2012-6.