The sale is unlikely, however, to include Ceroli’s massive and intricate sphere, entitled Squilibrio (Imbalance), which stands at Fiumicino airport outside Rome and is intended as a homage to Leonardo Da Vinci, the Renaissance genius who foresaw manned flight. Officials at Alitalia, which began flying in 1947, said the collection had its beginnings during happier times in the 1950s, when the airline bought modern art works to decorate its boardrooms, VIP lounges and even its fleet of DC8 aircraft. The policy was intended to show the world the best of Italy on the country’s flag carrier, officials said. Last week he announced that, despite protests by Alitalia trade unions, he had agreed to sell the airline to a group of Italian investors, CAI, in a deal worth more than €1 billion (£840 million). He said the handover would take place on December 1 but ENAC, the Italian aviation authority, said yesterday that the relaunch would be delayed till mid-December as “loose ends” were tied up, including final talks with the unions and the sale of some assets.

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