A visitor from Brazil who was touring the Arizona desert home of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright has died after he was hit by a piece of roof that blew off in high winds.
Witnesses say Rogério Renato Mateucci, 55, was struck on the head and died instantly Friday, according to police in Scottsdale, east of Phoenix.
Wind gusts of up to 38 mph (61 kph) were recorded at the Scottsdale Airport that day, according to the National Weather Service.
The designated UNESCO World Heritage site remained temporarily closed to the public on Wednesday.
The 1937 home and surrounding compound, called Taliesin West, have low-slung roofs and rock walls that appear to blend into the surrounding desert.
The property, which served as Wright's winter home as well as a “desert laboratory” for his students, draws up to 100,000 visitors a year, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, its owner.
The foundation said in a statement following Mateucci's death that the property was closed to the public “until further notice.”
“The Foundation extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual who died Friday, October 16, following an accident at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“The Scottsdale Police Department is aware of the incident, and no further details will be shared out of respect for privacy and to allow officials to complete their work.”
Sgt. Allison Sempsis, a Scottsdale police spokesperson, said the investigation doesn’t prevent the site from reopening.
A foundation spokesperson did not respond to an email Wednesday asking when tours would resume.
Mateucci worked as the senior administrator at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, located in the Brazilian city of Curitiba. In a statement, the school said he was its rector and a lay member of the Catholic order of Marist priests and brothers. He was from the city of São Paulo.
The school said Mateucci was visiting the U.S. to attend an international program at Arizona State University.
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