Taliesin West has closed to the public until further notice following a visitor’s death.
Brother Rogerio Renato Mateucci, rector of Brazil’s Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, died Oct. 16 when roofing material blown loose from the historic home by strong winds struck him in the head, according to Scottsdale police.
Mateucci was walking through the property with other people when he was struck, spokesperson Officer Aaron Bolin said. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
Detectives and crime scene personnel investigated, but police said they did not suspect foul play.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation offered condolences to his family and loved ones in an announcement late the following afternoon.
“No further details will be shared
out of respect for privacy and to allow officials to complete their work,” the foundation wrote.
The foundation did not respond an Oct. 18 inquiry from The Arizona Republic regarding roof inspections, precautions during high winds and plans to reopen Taliesin West.
Much of Arizona was under wind alerts on Oct. 16, including metro Phoenix, where a wind advisory was in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wright established Taliesin West in 1937 in the foothills of Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountains, which served as his winter home until his death in 1959, according to a 2025 Republic article. The site is now home to the foundation.
But for now, there will be no visitors in the wake in Mateucci's death. A banner at the top of the foundation’s website on Oct. 18 read, “Taliesin West is currently closed to the public.”
What do we know about the man who died?
Mateucci led Brazil’s Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, which announced his death in a social media post.
He earned a master’s degree and doctorate in education from Fordham University, according to a biography published by Kent State University.
Before leading the university, he directed a school in Londrina, Brazil, and held other university leadership positions, according to the biography.
His university announced it cancelled classes at three campuses Oct. 17 and 19 in mourning of Mateucci. It also planned an Oct. 19 memorial Mass that would be streamed online.
The Republic's Arlyssa Becenti contributed to this article.
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Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Taliesin West closes after wind-blown debris kills visitor
