Alessandro DEL TORSO

Alessandro Del Torso came from a wealthy and noble Friaul family and was an avid mountaineer making the first ascent of the so-called Finger of God. He was also one of Italy’s best fencers and practiced tennis, equestrian sports and others. In 1919, when the famous football club Udinese Calcio joined the association, he was elected president of the Associazione Sportiva Udinese (Udine Sports Association). Later, he competed in motorcycle, motor car and motorboat racing, in addition to bobsledding. The count was also a well-known self-taught painter specializing in Alpine landscapes. In 1923, he saved the football club from financial collapse selling some of his valuable paintings. He made his money from running a sawmill, and his palace in Udine, acquired in 1924, was handed over to the city of Udine upon his death and later, its garden was sold to the city and converted into a public garden.