A Brazilian college president was killed in a freak accident after roofing material broke loose during an architecture tour in Arizona, according to officials. The fatal incident occurred at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West home in Scottsdale, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Rogério Renato Mateucci, 55, was visiting the property as part of a group tour last Friday. At approximately 2 p.m., powerful winds dislodged a piece of roofing that struck Mateucci in the head, AZ Family reported.
Wind gusts reached speeds of up to 32 mph around the time of the incident. Officials classified the death as an accident related to weather, according to the outlet.
Mateucci died instantly after being hit by the roofing material. The stunning accident turned a tour of the famous architect’s home into a tragedy for the visiting university leader and those accompanying the group.
University boss is killed in freak accident while touring Frank Lloyd
Wright Arizona home https://t.co/la4ixAnjw5— Simo Saadi (@Simo7809957085) October 19, 2026 [2]
Mateucci served as rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil. He had held the Catholic university’s most senior leadership position since 2022, according to the Brazilian outlet G1.
The academic had earned multiple degrees in education during his career. Those credentials included a doctorate in educational leadership from Fordham University, according to the publication.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which is based at the Scottsdale property, responded to the fatal accident. A spokesperson for the foundation expressed the organization’s “deep condolences” following Mateucci’s death.
The incident also prompted the foundation to close the property to visitors. “The property is closed to the public until further notice,” the foundation announced in a statement posted to Facebook.
The closure remained open ended in the foundation’s announcement. The organization did not provide a date for the Scottsdale property to reopen to members of the public.
Back in Brazil, the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná suspended classes while the university community mourned its rector. Classes were canceled from Saturday through Monday, the school said in a statement.
The university also announced that a Mass in Mateucci’s memory would be held Monday. Funeral arrangements were expected to follow after his body was repatriated to Brazil.
The school addressed the rector’s death through the Catholic beliefs at the center of the university community. Its press release called members of that community to prayer while reflecting on death and resurrection.
“And, for those who believe, life is not taken from us, but transformed. Therefore, united by faith in the resurrection, let us now join in prayer for our dearest Brother Rogério,” the university concluded.
Mateucci’s death came only a few years after he became the university’s senior leader. His academic career included both university leadership and advanced study in the field of education.
The circumstances described by officials centered on the force of the wind and the piece of roofing it dislodged. The material then struck Mateucci in the head while he was participating in the group architecture tour.
The deadly sequence unfolded at a property operated by the foundation bearing Frank Lloyd Wright’s name. With the site closed until further notice, the foundation offered condolences while Mateucci’s university prepared to honor him in Brazil.
The university’s response included canceled classes, a memorial Mass, plans for funeral arrangements and a public expression of Catholic faith. Its final message asked the university community to gather in prayer for the rector it called “our dearest Brother Rogério.”