Memoirs Of The American Academy In Rome
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The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the
Gianicolo The Janiculum (; ), occasionally known as the Janiculan Hill, is a hill in western Rome, Italy. Although it is the second-tallest hill (the tallest being Monte Mario) in the contemporary city of Rome, the Janiculum does not figure among the pro ...
in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, Italy. The academy is a member of the
Council of American Overseas Research Centers The Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) founded in 1981, is a private not-for-profit federation of independent overseas research centers that promotes advanced research, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, with a ...
.


History


19th century

In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the
1893 World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ce ...
in Chicago. The group discussed the idea of forming an American school for artists in Europe as a place for American artists to study and further their skills. Led by Charles F. McKim of architectural practice
McKim, Mead & White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm based in New York City. The firm came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in ''fin de siècle'' New York. The firm's founding partners, Cha ...
, they decided that Rome, which they considered a veritable museum of masterpieces of painting, sculpture and architecture throughout the ages, would be the best location for the school. The program began with institutions such as
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
and
University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...
, who would provide scholarships to artists to fund their travel to Rome. In October 1894 the American School of Architecture opened temporarily at the
Palazzo Torlonia __NOTOC__ Palazzo Torlonia (also known as the Palazzo Giraud, Giraud-Torlonia or Castellesi) is a 16th-century Renaissance town house in Via della Conciliazione, Rome, Italy. Built for Cardinal Adriano Castellesi da Corneto from 1496, the archit ...
; directed by
Austin W. Lord Austin Willard Lord FAIA (June 27, 1860 – January 19, 1922) was an Americans, American architect and Painting, painter. He was a Partner (business rank), partner in the Architectural firm, firm of Lord & Hewlett, best known for their wor ...
, it had three fellows, one visiting student, and a library with one volume. In July 1895, the program moved into the larger Villa Aurora. Renting space out to the American School of Classical Studies and the British & American Archeological Society Library, and financial contributions from McKim, allowed for the school to remain open. In 1895, the American School of Architecture in Rome was incorporated in New York state and 10 shares of
capital stock In economics, capital goods or capital are "those durable produced goods that are in turn used as productive inputs for further production" of goods and services. A typical example is the machinery used in a factory. At the macroeconomic level, ...
were issued. Despite fund-raising efforts and the American School of Classical Studies pulling out of Villa Aurora, the organization struggled financially. McKim made up for the financial loss with his personal funds. These struggles would cause the American School of Architecture to restructure and base their program on the
French Academy French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
. In June 1897, the institution dissolved itself and formed the American Academy in Rome. Among its incorporators was Charles Moore. The Academy introduced bills to the
U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...
to make it a "national institution," which was successful.


20th century

In 1904, the Academy moved into Villa Mirafiore, which was soon purchased and renovated. They formed an endowment, which raised over a million dollars, designating those having donated over $100,000 as founders. Founders included McKim,
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
, The Carnegie Foundation,
J.P. Morgan JP may refer to: Arts and media * ''JP'' (album), 2001, by American singer Jesse Powell * ''Jp'' (magazine), an American Jeep magazine * '' Jönköpings-Posten'', a Swedish newspaper * Judas Priest, an English heavy metal band * ''Jurassic Pa ...
, J.P. Morgan Jr.,
John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist. Rockefeller was the fifth child and only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of th ...
,
The Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropy, philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The foundation was created by Standard Oil magnate John D. Rock ...
, William K. Vanderbilt,
Henry Walters Henry Walters (September 26, 1848 – November 30, 1931) was noted as an art collector and philanthropist, a founder of the Walters Art Gallery (now the Walters Art Museum) in Baltimore, Maryland, which he donated to the city in his 1931 will f ...
, and others. Ever since, the American Academy has always been primarily privately financed.Jean Nathan (June 9, 1994)
In Rome, Renovation Worthy of the Medici
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''.
Financing comes from private donations and grants from the
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...
and
National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
. In 1912, the American School of Classical Studies in Rome merged with the Academy, giving the Academy two wings: one that focuses on fine art and one,
classical studies Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages ...
. Women were a part of the School of Classical Studies, but were not permitted participation in the School of Fine Arts until after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Since 1914,
Joseph Brodsky Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (; ; 24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996) was a Russian and American poet and essayist. Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union, Brodsky ran afoul of Soviet authorities and was expelled ("strongly ...
,
Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, critic, writer, teacher, pianist, and conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Compos ...
,
Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognised as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writing has ... been of very great ben ...
,
Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and ''The Skin of Our Teeth'', and a U. ...
, Mary McCarthy,
Philip Guston Philip Guston (born Phillip Goldstein, June 27, 1913 – June 7, 1980) was a Canadian American painter, printmaker, muralist and draftsman. "Guston worked in a number of artistic modes, from Renaissance-inspired figuration to formally accomplis ...
,
Frank Stella Frank Philip Stella (May 12, 1936 – May 4, 2024) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. He lived and worked in New York City for much of his career befor ...
,
William Styron William Clark Styron Jr. (June 11, 1925 – November 1, 2006) was an American novelist and essayist who won major literary awards for his work. Early life Styron was born in the Hilton Village historic district of Newport News, Virginia, the so ...
,
Michael Graves Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, and principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Group and ...
,
Robert Venturi Robert Charles Venturi Jr. (June 25, 1925 – September 18, 2018) was an American architect, founding principal of the firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. Together with his wife and partner, Denise Scott Brown, he helped shape the way that ...
,
Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, literary critic and professor at Yale University. He was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern ...
,
Oscar Hijuelos Oscar Jerome Hijuelos (August 24, 1951 – October 12, 2013) was an American novelist. Of Cuban descent, during a year-long convalescence from a childhood illness spent in a Connecticut hospital he lost his knowledge of Spanish, his parents' ...
and Elizabeth Murray, among others, have come to the Academy for inspiration. More recent fellows include artists
Firelei Báez Firelei Báez (born 1981) is a Dominican Republic-born, New York City-based artist known for intricate works on paper and canvas, as well as large scale sculpture. Her art focuses on untold stories and unheard voices, using portraiture, landscape, ...
,
Nari Ward Nari Ward (born 1963 in St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican-American artist based in New York City. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Hunter College. His work is often composed of found objects from his neighborhood, and "address issu ...
, Rochelle Feinstein, Sanford Biggers,
Roberto Lugo Roberto Lugo (born 1981) is an American potter, social activist, spoken-word poet, and educator. Lugo's work as a social activist is represented in his artworks, where he draws together hip-hop, history, politics and his cultural background int ...
and
Daniel Joseph Martinez Daniel Joseph Martinez (born 1957) is a Los Angeles–based contemporary artist. Early life Martinez grew up in Lennox, California, a working-class area of Los Angeles County near Los Angeles International Airport. After high school, he attended ...
, writers
Anthony Doerr Anthony Doerr is an American author of novels and short stories. He gained widespread recognition for his 2014 novel '' All the Light We Cannot See'', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Early life and education Doerr grew up in Cleveland ...
,
Alexandra Kleeman Alexandra Kleeman (born 1986) is an American writer. Winner of the 2020 Rome Prize, her work has been reviewed in ''The New York Times'', ''The Guardian'', '' Vanity Fair'', ''Vogue'', and the ''Los Angeles Review of Books''. Early life and edu ...
and
Kirstin Valdez Quade Kirstin Valdez Quade is an American writer. Early life and education Quade was born to a white father and a Hispanic mother in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her father was a desert geologist and her family lived throughout the Southwestern United St ...
, composers
Christopher Cerrone Christopher Cerrone (born March 5, 1984) is an American composer based in New York City. He was a 2014 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a 2014 Fromm Foundation commission recipient, a 2015 Rome Prize winner in Music Composition, and has received nu ...
,
Pamela Z Pamela Z (born 1956) is an American composer, performer, and media artist best known for her solo works for voice with electronic processing. In performance, she combines various vocal sounds including operatic bel canto, experimental extended ...
and Andy Akiho, architect Germane Barnes, and filmmaker
Garrett Bradley (filmmaker) Garrett Bradley (born 1986) is an American filmmaker and director of short films, feature films, documentaries, and television. She is known for blending cinematic genres to explore the larger sociopolitical significance of the everyday moments ...
.The American Academy in Rome
/ref> In her tenure as president from 1988 and 2013, Adele Chatfield-Taylor, helped restore the Academy's McKim, Mead & White building at a cost of $8.2 million and oversaw a capital campaign in which the institution's endowment grew to $100 million. She also brought on
Alice Waters Alice Louise Waters (born April 28, 1944) is an American chef, restaurateur, food writer, and author. In 1971, she opened Chez Panisse, a restaurant in Berkeley, California, famous for its role in creating the farm-to-table movement and for ...
to create the Rome Sustainable Food Project, which brings chefs from the United States to explore Italian sustainable food traditions and to cook for the Academy guests.


21st century

Mark Robbins, a 1997 Fellow, became president and CEO of the Academy in January 2014.Rachel Donadio (October 30, 2013)
American Academy in Rome Names New President
''The New York Times''.
His tenure has seen the American Academy in Rome become more diverse and globally facing, and he launched new public programming in the United States. As of July 1, 2023, Peter N. Miller is serving as President of the American Academy in Rome.


Programs

The Academy serves as a "home" to visiting U.S. scholars and artists having been awarded the
Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Recipients must be American citizens. Prizes have been aw ...
. Given each year to around 30 (15 artist and 15 scholars) of more than 1,000 applicants, the Rome Prize is awarded for work in the following fields:
classical studies Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek and Roman literature and their original languages ...
, ancient studies,
medieval studies Medieval studies is the academic interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages. A historian who studies medieval studies is called a medievalist. Institutional development The term 'medieval studies' began to be adopted by academics in the opening ...
, modern
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
studies, architecture, design,
historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...
,
art conservation conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property (tangible cultural heritage), including artworks, architecture, archaeology, and museum collections. Conservation activities include preve ...
,
landscape architecture Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...
,
musical composition Musical composition can refer to an Originality, original piece or work of music, either Human voice, vocal or Musical instrument, instrumental, the musical form, structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new pie ...
, visual art, and literature. The Rome Prize includes terms that range from six months to two years fellowships at the academy; a stipend ($16,000 for half-year and $30,000 for full-year fellowships); and work and living space at the 11-acre campus. The 2023/2024 Rome Prize cycle included: Kamrooz Aram,
Nao Bustamante Nao Bustamante (born September 3, 1969) is a Chicana interdisciplinary artist, writer, and educator from the San Joaquin Valley in California. Her artistic practice encompasses performance art, sculpture, installation, and video and explores iss ...
, Zachary Fabri, Jeanine Oleson, and
Dread Scott Scott Tyler (born 1965), known professionally as Dread Scott, is an American artist whose works, often participatory in nature, focus on the experience of African Americans in the contemporary United States. His first major work, ''What Is the Pr ...
. The American Academy in Rome also has a prestigious residency program, where international leaders in disciplines represented by the
Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Recipients must be American citizens. Prizes have been aw ...
are invited to come to the Academy to work and serve as informal mentors. Recent residents have included prominent writers
Don Delillo Donald Richard DeLillo (born November 20, 1936) is an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, screenwriter, and essayist. His works have covered subjects as diverse as consumerism, nuclear war, the complexities of language, art, televi ...
,
Ayad Akhtar Ayad Akhtar (born October 28, 1970) is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. He has received numerous accolades including the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as nominations for two Tony Awards. Akhtar is known as a playwrig ...
,
André Aciman André Aciman (; born 2 January 1951) is an Italian-American writer. Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, he is currently a distinguished professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, where he teaches the history of lit ...
,
Anna Deavere Smith Anna Deavere Smith (born September 18, 1950) is an American actress, playwright, and professor. She is known for her roles as National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally in ''The West Wing'' (2000–06), hospital administrator Gloria Akalitus i ...
and
Jhumpa Lahiri Nilanjana Sudeshna "Jhumpa" LahiriMinzesheimer, Bob, ''USA Today'', August 19, 2003. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. (born July 11, 1967) is a British-American author known for her short stories, novels, and essays in English and, more recently, in I ...
, artists
Kara Walker Kara Elizabeth Walker (born November 26, 1969) is an American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, filmmaker, and professor who explores Race (classification of human beings), race, gender, human sexuality, sexual ...
,
Yto Barrada Yto Barrada (born 1971) is a Franco-Moroccan multimedia visual artist living and working in Tangier, Morocco and New York City. Barrada cofounded the Cinémathèque de Tanger in 2006, leading a group of artists and filmmakers. Barrada also work ...
,
Teresita Fernández Teresita Fernández (born 1968) is a New York City, New York-based visual artist best known for her public sculptures and unconventional use of materials. Her work is characterized by a reconsideration of landscape and issues of visibility. Fern ...
,
Laurie Anderson Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work encompasses performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting,Amirkhanian, Cha ...
,
Julie Mehretu Julie Mehretu (born November 28, 1970) is an Ethiopian American contemporary visual artist, known for her multi-layered paintings of abstracted landscapes on a large scale. Her paintings, drawings, and prints depict the cumulative effects of urba ...
and
Theaster Gates Theaster Gates (born August 28, 1973) is an American social practice installation artist and a professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Chicago. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he still lives and works. Gates' work ...
, designer
Michael Bierut Michael Bierut (born 1957) is a graphic designer, design critic and educator, who has been a partner at design firm Pentagram since 1990. He designed the logo for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Early life and education Michael B ...
, architects
Annabelle Selldorf Annabelle Selldorf (born July 5, 1960) is a German-born architect and founding principal of Selldorf Architects, a New York City-based architecture practice. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) and the recipient of the 2 ...
,
Jeanne Gang Jeanne Gang (born March 19, 1964) is an American architect and the founder and leader of Studio Gang (established in 1997), an architecture and urban design practice with offices in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Paris. She is known for ...
and
David Adjaye Sir David Frank Adjaye (born 22 September 1966) is a Ghanaian-British architect who has designed many notable buildings around the world, including the National Museum of African American History, National Museum of African American History and ...
, composers
Nico Muhly Nico Asher Muhly (; born August 26, 1981) is an American contemporary classical music composer and arranger who has worked and recorded with both classical and pop musicians. A prolific composer, he has composed for many notable symphony orchestra ...
,
David Lang (composer) David Lang (born January 8, 1957) is an American composer living in New York City. Co-founder of the musical collective Bang on a Can, he was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music for '' The Little Match Girl Passion'', which went on to win ...
(also a Fellow) and
Tania León Tania León (born May 14, 1943) is a Cuban-born American composer of both large-scale and chamber works. She is also renowned as a conductor, educator, and advisor to arts organizations. Early years and education She was born Tania Justina Leó ...
, and scholars
Lynn Meskell Lynn Meskell (born 1967) is an Australian archaeologist and anthropologist who currently works as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as the 26th Penn Integrates Knowledge Program (PIK) Professor since her appointment ...
,
Mary Beard (classicist) Dame Winifred Mary Beard (born 1 January 1955) is an English classicist specialising in Ancient Rome. She is a trustee of the British Museum and formerly held a personal professorship of classics at the University of Cambridge. She is a fellow ...
,
Shadi Bartsch Shadi Bartsch (born March 17, 1966) is an American historian and professor of classics at the University of Chicago.
,
David Kertzer David Israel Kertzer (born February 20, 1948) is an American anthropologist, historian, and academic, specializing in the political, demographic, and religious history of Italy. He is the Paul Dupee Jr. University Professor of Social Science, Pr ...
,
David Nirenberg David Nirenberg (born 1964) is an American medievalist and intellectual historian. He is the Director and Leon Levy Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ. He previously taught at the University of Chicago, where he was Dea ...
and
David McCullough David Gaub McCullough (; July 7, 1933 – August 7, 2022) was an American popular historian. He was a two-time winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United S ...
. In addition to Rome Prize Fellows and Resident, visiting scholars and artists live and work at the Academy for varying periods.


Governance and leadership

The American Academy in Rome is a
501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
nonprofit organization that was incorporated by
U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...
in 1905 (''An Act of Congress to incorporate the American Academy in Rome'', approved March 3, 1905). Its operations are financed privately, through the support of individual donors, foundations, private colleges and universities, and funds from its endowment. It has a
board of trustees A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
. The American Academy in Rome is led by the President and CEO, Peter N. Miller. Until 1971, the president was an unsalaried position held by the chairmen of the board of trustees. In 1971, the administrative structure was changed in recognition of the need for a professional staff in the U.S., and the position of President and CEO was separated from that of Chair of the Board of Trustees.Max, J. and Linker, W.''American Academy in Rome: Celebrating a Century'', published by the American Academy in Rome, 1995. Additionally, the American Academy in Rome has a Director in Rome, who reports to the President, which is usually a tenured academic who is "lent" from their home institution to serve as director for a term of three years. Aliza Wong was named director in 2022, becoming the first woman of color to serve as director in the institution's 128-year history.


List of presidents

*
Charles Follen McKim Charles Follen McKim (August 24, 1847 – September 14, 1909) was an American Beaux-Arts architect of the late 19th century. Along with William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White, he provided the architectural expertise as a member of the par ...
(1894–1909) – First President *
William Rutherford Mead William Rutherford Mead (August 20, 1846 – June 19, 1928) was an American architect who was the "Center of the Office" of McKim, Mead, and White, a noted Gilded Age architectural firm.Baker, Paul R. ''Stanny'' The firm's other founding pa ...
(1910–1928) * Charles A. Platt (1928–1933) *
John Russell Pope John Russell Pope (April 24, 1874 – August 27, 1937) was an American architecture, architect whose firm is widely known for designing major public buildings, including the National Archives and Records Administration building (completed in 193 ...
(1934–1937) *
James Kellum Smith James Kellum Smith (October 3, 1893 – February 18, 1961) was an American architect, of the Gilded Age architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White. Biography Early years Smith grew up in the small city of Towanda in Bradford County, Pennsylva ...
(1938–1958) * Michael Rapuano (1958–1959) * Rensselaer Lee (1969–1971) * Henry T. Rowell (1971–1974) * Harold C. Martin (1974–1977) *
Bill N. Lacy Bill N. Lacy (April 16, 1933 – August 25, 2020) was an architect, the president of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and the president of the State University of New York at Purchase. Early life Lacy was born near K ...
(1977–1980) * Calvin G. Rand (1980–1984) * Sophie C. Consagra (1984–1988) * John T. Sargent (1988) *
Adele Chatfield-Taylor Adele Chatfield-Taylor (born January 29, 1945) is an American arts administrator. She served as president and CEO of the American Academy in Rome from 1988 to 2013. Education, career, and honors Virginia-born and bred Chatfield-Taylor received a ...
(1988–2013) * Mark Robbins (2014–2023) * Peter N. Miller (2023–present) Source:


List of directors

* Jesse Benedict Carter (1913–1917) – First Director * Gorham Phillips Stevens (1917–1932) *
James Monroe Hewlett James Monroe Hewlett (August 1, 1868 – October 18, 1941) was an American Beaux Arts architect, scenic designer, and muralist. Hewlett was born into an old Long Island family at Rock Hall in Lawrence, New York. He is descended from a l ...
(1932–1934) *
Chester Holmes Aldrich Chester Holmes Aldrich (4 June 1871 – 26 December 1940) was an American architect and director of the American Academy in Rome. Early life Aldrich was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the third son of Anna Elizabeth (née Gladding) an ...
(1935–1940) * ''No director during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(1940–1945)'' *
William Bell Dinsmoor William Bell Dinsmoor Sr. (July 29, 1886 – July 2, 1973) was an American architectural historian of classical Greece and a Columbia University professor of art and archaeology. Biography He was born on July 29, 1886, in Windham, New Hampshire. ...
(appointed acting director, 1944, but was unable to take up the post and resigned in 1945) *
Charles Rufus Morey Charles Rufus Morey (November 20, 1877 – August 28, 1955) was an American art historian, professor, and chairman of the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University from 1924 to 1945. He had expertise in medieval art and founded the ...
(1945–1946) (acting director) * Laurance P. Roberts (1946–1960) * Richard Arthur Kimball (1960–1965) *
Frank Edward Brown Frank Edward Brown (LaGrange, Illinois, USA, May 24, 1908 – Marco Island, Florida, February 28, 1988) was a preeminent Mediterranean archaeologist. Education Educated at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, (B.A. 1929), Brown went on to ...
(1965–1969) * Reginald Allen (1969–1970 (acting director) * Bartlett H. Hayes Jr. (1970–1973) *
Frank Edward Brown Frank Edward Brown (LaGrange, Illinois, USA, May 24, 1908 – Marco Island, Florida, February 28, 1988) was a preeminent Mediterranean archaeologist. Education Educated at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, (B.A. 1929), Brown went on to ...
(1973–1974) (acting director) * Henry A. Millon (1974–1977) *
John D'Arms John Haughton D'Arms (November 27, 1934 – January 22, 2002) was the Gerald F. Else Professor of Humanities and professor of classical studies and history at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He also served as president of the America ...
(1977–1980) * Sophie C. Consagra (1980–1984) *
Jim Melchert Jim Melchert (né James Frederick Melchert; December 2, 1930 – June 1, 2023) was an American visual artist, arts administer, and professor. He is known for his ceramics and sculptures. Melchert was part of the Funk art movement. Early life a ...
(1984–1988) *
Joseph Connors Joseph James Connors (born February 5, 1945, in New York City) is an American art historian and educator, who specializes in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Career Born in New York City, Connors was graduated from Regis High ...
(1988–1992) *
Caroline Bruzelius Caroline Astrid Bruzelius is an American art historian and expert in medieval architecture. She is the Anne M. Cogan Professor of Art and Art History at Duke University.
(1994–1997) * Lester K. Little (1997–2005) * Carmela Vircillo Franklin (2005–2010) * Christopher Celenza (2010–2014) * Kimberly Bowes (2014–2017) * John Ochsendorf (2017–2020] *
Avinoam Shalem Avinoam Shalem (Hebrew: אבינועם שלם; born 1959) is the Riggio Professor of the History of the Arts of Islam at Columbia University. He served as director of the American Academy in Rome from 2020 to 2021. Biography Shalem was born in ...
(2020–2021) * Elizabeth Rodini (2021–2022) (acting director) * Aliza Wong (2022–present) Source:


Site

The Academy is housed in several buildings. The main building was designed by the firm of
McKim, Mead, and White McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm based in New York City. The firm came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in ''fin de siècle'' New York. The firm's founding partners, Cha ...
(their only building in Europe) and opened in 1914. Located under the floor of the basement of the main building lies a segment of the
Aqua Traiana The Aqua Traiana (later rebuilt and named the Acqua Paola) was a 1st-century Roman aqueduct built by Emperor Trajan and inaugurated in 109 AD. It channelled water from sources around Lake Bracciano, 40 km (25 mi) north-west of Rome, to a ...
that was discovered in 1912–1913. The courtyard has a fountain designed by sculptor
Paul Manship Paul Howard Manship (December 25, 1885 – January 31, 1966) was an American Sculpture, sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco in the United States, Art Deco movement. ...
. The 2011
Driehaus Prize The Driehaus Architecture Prize, fully named The Richard H. Driehaus Prize at the University of Notre Dame, is a global award to honor a major contributor in the field of contemporary traditional and classical architecture. The Driehaus Prize was ...
winner and New Classical architect
Michael Graves Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, and principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Group and ...
designed the rare books library in 1996. The Academy also owns the
Villa Aurelia
', a country estate built for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese in 1650. The building served as
Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as (). In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as () or (). 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, revolutionary and republican. H ...
'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 Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
heiress Clara Jessup Heyland. Heyland died in 1909, bequeathing the villa to the Academy in her will.


Archaeology

A portion of the aqueduct
Aqua Traiana The Aqua Traiana (later rebuilt and named the Acqua Paola) was a 1st-century Roman aqueduct built by Emperor Trajan and inaugurated in 109 AD. It channelled water from sources around Lake Bracciano, 40 km (25 mi) north-west of Rome, to a ...
and the ruins of the
watermills A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...
fed by the aqueduct are on the grounds of the Academy. From the third to the sixth century CE, the Aqua Traiana carried water to operate a number of water mills used for grinding grain, mostly wheat, into flour to make bread, the most important item in the Roman diet. The ancient city of Rome had to import large amounts of grain from
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, North Africa, and
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
to feed its population, estimated at one million people at its peak. The mills on Janiculum Hill and on the site of the Academy were the second largest complex of water mills known in the ancient world. The provision of grain to the residents of Rome was called the Cura Annonae. The aqueduct and the watermills were excavated in the 1990s.Wilson, Andrew (2000), "The Water-Mills on the Janiculum", ''Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome,'' Vol. 45, pp. 219–246. Downloaded from
JSTOR JSTOR ( ; short for ''Journal Storage'') is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources founded in 1994. Originally containing digitized back issues of academic journals, it now encompasses books and other primary source ...
.


See also

*
American Academy in Berlin The American Academy in Berlin is a private, independent, nonpartisan research and cultural institution in Berlin dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the long-term intellectual, cultural, and political ties between the United States and German ...
*
American School of Classical Studies at Athens The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA; ) is one of 19 foreign archaeological institutes in Athens, Greece. It is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC). CAORC is a private not-for-profit federat ...
*
American Schools of Oriental Research The American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR), founded in 1900 as the American School of Oriental Study and Research in Palestine, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, which supports the research and teaching of ...
*
British School at Rome The British School at Rome (BSR) is a British interdisciplinary research centre supporting the arts, humanities and architecture established in Rome. Historical and archaeological study are at the core of its activities. History The British Sc ...
*
Académie de France à Rome The French Academy in Rome (, ) is an academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio (Pincian Hill) in Rome, Italy. History The Academy was founded at the Palazzo Capranica in 1666 by Louis XIV under the direc ...
* Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Rom * Romanian Academy in Rome *
Villa Massimo Villa Massimo, short for Deutsche Akademie Rom Villa Massimo (), is a German cultural institution in Rome, established in 1910 and located in the Villa Massimo. The fellowship of the German Academy in Rome, often referred to as the German Rome P ...
*
John Russell Pope John Russell Pope (April 24, 1874 – August 27, 1937) was an American architecture, architect whose firm is widely known for designing major public buildings, including the National Archives and Records Administration building (completed in 193 ...


References


External links


American Academy in Rome

Smithsonian Archives of American Art — The American Academy in Rome archives.

Villa Aurelia
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Academy In Rome 1894 establishments in Italy American art Foreign academies in Rome Landscape design history of the United States Andrew Carnegie McKim, Mead & White buildings Beaux-Arts architecture Rome R. XIII Trastevere