Italian-Austrian financier, banker and philanthropist, one of the wealthiest men in Europe in the early 20th century.

Castiglioni worked first in his father's Gummiwarenfabrik AG [rubberware factory] in Vienna. He developed a passion for flying and ballooning, helped found Vienna's first aero club c. 1901, founded Motoren-Luftfahrzeuggesellschaft GmbH [motor air-vehicle company] in 1907, and went on in 1914 to be the first financier to invest in the production of aircraft. After World War I he was highly influential in the development of the German car industry, notably Austro-Daimler and BMW. In the early 1920s he was President of the Austrian Depositenbank ‒ which, however, went bankrupt in 1924, after which he set up a private bank in Milan and amassed a further fortune.

A notable art collector himself, his philanthropy toward the arts included support for the theater producer Max Reinhard and the building of a theater for him, and also helping him to organize the Salzburg Festival around 1920.

Castiglioni and the Schenker circle

According to Schenker's diary of October 17, 1923, his banker brother Moriz suggested Castiglioni, though in what connection is unclear. On November 23, 1923, Walter Dahms was considering approaching Castiglioni for support in publishing his planned book on bel canto (OJ 10/1, [81]). However, Schenker had already spoken to his brother in that regard on November 6, and recorded in his diary: [He] agrees to speak to Camillo Castiglioni; it is possible that he is failing right at this moment because there was some small friction between Rome and Berlin, but Mr Camillo Castiglioni is striving for the title of Count; if that should be the case, he will give us access to the Prince of Liechtenstein. (OJ 3/5, p. 2595)

On November 20, Schenker pressed him further: "I request determined effort in the Castiglioni matter, since we would both otherwise find ourselves in an awkward situation" (p. 2599). On December 11, Schenker recorded that his brother had "haunted the antechambers of Castiglioni for one-and-a-half hours!" (p. 2605). Further reference occurs on February 6, 1924: "To Dahms (letter): relate the fate of the planned trio evening at Castiglioni's and about [Moriz]'s behavior; [he] has the best relationship with Castiglioni imaginable [...]" (p. 2631).

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