The essay concerns the unknown ancient collection discovered during the investigation for Ph. D. thesis devoted
to “Giacomo Zammattio (Trieste, 1855-1927) architetto e collezionista”. The Fontana collection left for
almost a century, until 2013, jumbled with the Zammattio collection, in the architect’s mansion in Trieste.
Through the analysis of the unusual heterogeneous artistic heritage, by the study of Zammattio’s family
handwritten documents and certificates kept in the State Archives of Trieste, the writer brought to light the
Fontana Collection, growth in three generations, from late XVIII to late XIX century. The collection consists
of about 20 paintings, a few half-length plaster works, some etchings, dating back from XVI to XIX century
