Role Politician | ||
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Born March 18, 1878 ( 1878-03-18 ) Name Alessandro Contini-Bonacossi Died October 22, 1955, Florence, Italy | ||
Count Alessandro Contini-Bonacossi (18 March 1878 - 22 October 1955) was an Italian politician, art collector, dealer and philatelist. In 1939 he was made a Senator of the Kingdom of Vittorio Emanuele III.
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Early life
Contini-Bonacossi was born in Ancona on 18 March 1878 to Camillo Contini and the Countess Elena Bonacossi Bermudez of Ferrara.
Political career
In 1928, Contini-Bonacossi was made a Count by Vittorio Emanuele III. In 1939 he became a Senator.
Nazi era
Through Walter Hofer, Contini-Bonacossi sourced art for the Goring Collection.
Around 1942, Goring's art agent Sepp Angerer, and the local German consul Gerhard Wolf, went on a tour of Contini-Bonacossi's collection. Angerer supposedly told the count, "What a pity you're not a Jew!" and drawing a finger across his throat continued "If you were a Jew, we could do just that! And all the paintings would be ours!"
Philately
Contini-Bonacossi was a noted philatelist. He won a Gold-Silver medal at the London International Stamp Exhibition 1960 for his display of Tuscany and a Gold medal at WIPA 1965, also for Tuscany.
Death
Contini-Bonacossi died in Florence on 22 October 1955.