Carlo Testi was born in Florence in November 1947. He was taught the first rudiments of painting by his father Otello, a painter who, together with Dino Migliorini, was a pupil of Ardengo Soffici. In 1970 he started to work as an executive for the Banca d’America e d’Italia. From 1980 to 1986 he held the office of bank officer at the Bank of America of San Francisco. From 1986 to 2000 he was the manager of the Deutsche Bank of Florence. In December 2009 he was appointed “Cavaliere al merito” by the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano. At present, after leaving his job, he devotes himself to painting full-time.