Trieste: A Trieste man has donated to the Friuli region a large modern-art collection including works by Pablo Picasso, Joan Mirò, Max Ernst, and Giorgio de Chirico worth over 700,000 euros. Antonio Cattaruzza, 71, a member of a distinguished Triestine family and a former manager at the locally based insurance giant Generali, has been described as “the last MittellEuropean art patron.”
According to Ansa News Agency, Friuli Governor Massimiliano Fedriga said the “act of generosity” of Cattaruzza, who is of Austrian heritage, “is a magnificent demonstration of belonging to the community of Friuli Venezia Giulia and a desire to leave something precious at others’ disposal.”
Cattaruzza, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, shared his perspective on the intersection of art and engineering. He recalled advice from his machinery teacher, who said, “remember that if something is not beautiful, it does not work: a connecting rod must not only be functional but also functioning and therefore beautiful. So from
this standpoint, art and engineering are connected.”
