The 'American Academy in Rome' is a research and arts institution located on the
Gianicolo (''Janiculum Hill'') in
Rome. It was created in
1913 out of a merger between the American School of Architecture (founded
1894) and the American School of Classical Studies in Rome (founded
1895 by the
Archaeological Institute of America). The founders included
Charles Follen McKim,
William Kissam Vanderbilt,
Henry Clay Frick,
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and
Andrew Carnegie.
Today the Academy is a temporary home to U.S. scholars and artists who have been awarded the prestigious
Rome Prize (which is distinct from other prizes of a similar name – see
Prix de Rome (disambiguation)). Currently, Rome Prizes are awarded in various fields thus:
★ School of Classical Studies (12 Rome Prizes, of which 10 are for one year and 2, awarded by the
Samuel H. Kress Foundation, are for two years). These awards may be in history, literature, archaeology, or art history:
★
★ Ancient Studies
★
★
Medieval Studies
★
★
Renaissance and Early-Modern Studies
★
★ Modern Italian Studies
★ School of Fine Arts (15 Rome Prizes, of which 11 are for one year and 4 are for six months)
★
★
Architecture
★
★ Design Arts
★
★ Historic Preservation and Conservation
★
★
Landscape Architecture
★
★
Musical Composition
★
★
Visual Arts
★
★
Literature (the only field in which Rome Prizes are awarded by nomination through the
American Academy of Arts and Letters, rather than by application)
In addition to Rome Prize Fellows (designated by the acronym FAAR), visiting scholars and artists live and/or work at the Academy for varying periods. Residents, generally prominent scholars or artists themselves, also live at the Academy for three months. There are two to three Residents (RAAR) annually in each field.
The Academy hosts several summer programs, including the Classical Summer School, the
National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar, the Summer Program in Roman Pottery, and the Summer Program in Archeology, which are open to various scholars, teachers, and students.
Also housed at the Academy is the Fototeca Unione, founded by
Ernest Nash.
The Academy is housed in several buildings. The main building was designed by the firm of
McKim, Mead, and White and opened in
1914. The courtyard has a fountain designed by sculptor
Paul Manship. The Academy also owns the
Villa Aurelia, a country estate built for
Cardinal Girolamo Farnese in
1650. The building served as
Giuseppe Garibaldi's headquarters during the French siege of Rome in
1849. The villa was heavily damaged during the assault, but it was restored. It was then purchased by
Philadelphia heiress
Clara Jessup Heyland. Heyland died in
1909, bequeathing the villa to the Academy in her will.
See also
★
American Academy in Berlin
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American School of Classical Studies at Athens
★
American Schools of Oriental Research
★
British School at Rome
★
Académie de France Rome
★
Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Rom
★
Villa Massimo
★
John Russell Pope
External links
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American Academy in Rome
★
American Academy in Rome records at the Smithsonian Archives of American Art