Riccardo Gatti Biography
Riccardo Gatti was born in Faenza in 1886 on 3 April, his father Francesco was a manager at the renowned Faenza cabinetmaker "Casalini". After finishing primary school, from 1898 to 1902 he diligently and profitably attended high school classes at the Seminary of Faenza. Subsequently he enrolled at the School of Arts and Crafts of Faenza directed by Prof. A. Berti and attended the plastics course conducted by Prof. M. Campello. Among his fellow students there are Anselmo Bucci, Giovanni Guerrini and Aldo Zama, young people who in the future will be an integral part of the Faenza cultural panorama. At the same time it is part of what was later defined as the "Cenacolo Baccarini" (to which Baccarini himself, Drei, Guerrini, Melandri, Nonni, Rambelli, Ugonia... belong); his first work experience took place at the Majolica Factory of the Virginio and Venturino Minardi brothers. In 1906 he participated together with the Baccarinian group in the Faenza Figurative Arts Exhibition, immediately highlighting his ability as a sculptor and modeller. Confirmation came in 1908 at the Torricelliana Exhibition in Faenza where he obtained the Silver Medal for sculpture. In 1909 he left the Minardi brothers' factory to attend the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence together with Francesco Nonni. Unfortunately family problems forced him to interrupt his studies, he returned to Faenza welcomed back by the Minardi Brothers. But Gatti is always looking for new experiences and is attracted by the great cultural and artistic center of the capital. With the death of Virginio the Minardi factory ceased operations, Gatti immediately left for Rome and enrolled in the free nude school. Unfortunately he was forced to leave his studies again because he was called up to arms. In 1915 he was enrolled in the Bersaglieri corps, fought in the Carso, then was assigned to a unit in Genoa. Discharged, he returned to Faenza in 1919 and worked as a ceramist at the Manifattura Ceramica ex Fabbrica Farina.
