American Academy in Rome
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The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the 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 home to scholars and artists who have been awarded the prestigious Rome Prize. Rome Prizes are awarded in various fields:
- School of Classical Studies (12 Rome Prizes, of which 10 are for one year and 2 are for two years)
- 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)
- School of Classical Studies (12 Rome Prizes, of which 10 are for one year and 2 are for two years)
In addition to Rome Prize Fellows (designated by the acronym FAAR), other scholars and artists live and/or work at the Academy. Residents, generally prominent scholars or artists themselves, also live at the Academy for three months. There is one Resident (RAAR) annually for each field.
The Academy is housed in several buildings. The main building was designed by the firm of McKim, Mead, and White and opened in 1914. Its 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.