Giacomo Vittone born in Turin on the 13th December 1898, began painting at a very early age. In 1916, in order to develop his natural talent, he attended the Turin studio belonging to the Gatti brothers where he met many other artists. In 1917 he left to fight in WW1, experiencing in person the retreat of Caporetto in the Karst region. After the war he worked for several companies in the Veneto region, and in 1926 he was hired by a major financial institution. In 1928 he married and in 1935, for work reasons, he settled in Riva del Garda, where his passion for painting flourished. He forged relationships with: Pizzini, Paluselli, Bonat, Susat, Simeoni, Dal Lago and others. Always in search of evocative surroundings, he discovered the landscapes of Tenno and his favourite place, "Regno di Calvola" (Kingdom of Calvola) where the idea of a home for artists originated. In 1945 he began to sign his paintings with the pseudonym, Pictor Dominicus or simply, Dominicus. In addition to painting, he was passionately interested in the cultural life of the city and in 1945 he was appointed curator of the Museum of Riva del Garda. He was committed to the reconstruction of this institution and added the first section of the public library. In 1955 he was awarded the Gold Medal by the Municipality of Riva del Garda for his work on behalf of the Museum and the local culture. In the 1960s, with help from some of his loyal friends, La Casa degli Artisti opened its doors bearing his name. In that same period he moved to Ostia. In 1971, after his wife's death, he stopped signing his works “Dominicus” and resumed signing them as Giacomo Vittone. He died in 1995 in Ostia.