French Academy in Rome

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Image:RomaVillaMedici.JPG The French Academy in Rome (French: Académie de France à Rome) is an Academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio (Pincian Hill) in Rome, Italy.

[edit] History

The Academy was founded in 1666 by Louis XIV under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Charles Le Brun and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The French Academy in Rome was through the nineteenth century the culmination of study for select French artists who, having won the prestigious Prix de Rome (Rome Prize), were honored with a 5-year scholarship in the Eternal City for the purpose of the study of art and architecture. One well-known director of the Academy was Balthus. One recipient of the scholarship in 17th century was Pierre Le Gros the Younger.

Nowadays the scholarships are not as long (one or two years), but the field of arts is extended to engraving, restoration, and writing. The scholars are known as pensionnaires de l'Académie (Academy pensioners).