The sperm of a proto-facist Italian soldier and poet has been used to reconstruct his DNA , the first time this technique has been used . Scientists performed the reconstruction , which usually requires the exhumation of remains , by analysing a handkerchief belonging to soldier and poet Gabriele D ’ Annunzio 100 years ago . It had been given by D ’ Annunzio to his lover , Countess Olga Levi Brunner , in 1916 with semen residue on it . Italian Gabriele D ’ Annunzio 's ( shown right , with Mussolini on the left ) sperm was use to reconstruct his DNA . Scientists analysed a handkerchief belonging to D ’ Annunzio 100 years ago . It had been given to his lover Countess Olga Levi Brunner with semen on it . The handkerchief was analysed by police in Cagliari , Sardinia , along with a letter written by the countess and an ivory toothbrush . They had been stored at the Vittoriale degli Italiani foundation in Lombardy , northern Italy . D ’ Annunzio , born 12 March 1863 , moved into the building in 1922 until his death on 1 March 1938 . It was later turned into a museum . Scientists believe that DNA evidence found at a crime scene could in the future be used to create mugshots of criminal suspects . This is one potential use to emerge from a new research paper - Modeling 3D Facial Shape From DNA - published on last year in Plos Genetics . In the article , a team of scientists explained how they were able to produce crude 3D models of faces simply from people 's DNA samples . ‘ We show that facial variation with regard to sex , ancestry , and genes can be systematically studied with our methods , allowing us to lay the foundation for predictive modeling of faces , ’ the researchers wrote . Experts studied the artifacts using a crimescope light , which can observe objects in a variety of wavelengths . This revealed the hidden blotches on the handkerchief , the DNA results of which were then compared with Federico d ’ Annunzio , the right-wing revolutionary ’ s great grandson . Vittoriale degli Italiani foundation chief Giordano Bruno Guerri joked that the experiment might open the door to the future cloning of historical figures even if their remains have been lost . ‘ Nobody wants to clone D ’ Annunzio , but nobody knows what changes will take place in science and society , ’ he said . ‘ It ’ s good the DNA has been collected. ’ AFP news agency described D ’ Annunzio as a ‘ proto-fasciast warmonger ’ , with many saying his ideals were a forerunner to Italian fascism . The Italian Carabinieri Forensic Department ( shown ) presented results of their research about an unpublished letter that Gabriele D'Annunzio ( 1863-1938 ) wrote on 15 July 1935 . D'Annunzio 's DNA has been extracted from a handkerchief stained with sperm that the poet gave a woman as a 'present ' after having sex in 1916 . A member of the Italian Carabinieri Forensic Department presents an unpublished letter ( left ) that Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio ( 1863-1938 ) wrote on 15 July 1935 to Carabinieri colonel Adelchi Struffi . Right is an image provided by D'Annunzio 's Museum Press Office showing Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio ( 1863-1938 ) The handnkerchief was studied using a crimescope light , which can observe objects in a variety of wavelength . This revealed the hidden blotches on the handkerchief , the DNA ( stock image shown ) results of which were then compared with Federico d ’ Annunzio , the rightwing revolutionary ’ s great grandson .
Italian Gabriele D ’ D ’ Annunzio 's sperm was use to reconstruct his DNA . Scientists analysed a handkerchief belonging to D ’ D ’ Annunzio 100 years ago . It had been given to his lover Countess Olga Levi Brunner with semen on it . DNA reconstruction usually requires the exhumation of remains . But this technique could now help when cases have gone cold .