The Department of Art History

Founded in 1970 at the instigation of André Chastel, the Art History Department of the French Academy in Rome is directed by a Director. Its research focus is the study of artistic relations between France and Italy, from the Renaissance to contemporary times.

The Department supervises art historians during their period of residence, as well as the researchers on the Daniel Arasse (eight doctoral students per year, in collaboration with the École française de Rome) and André Chastel (three researchers per year, in collaboration with the Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art in Paris) fellowships.
The Department also organises international art history conferences in collaboration with numerous French and Italian institutions. These conferences are regularly published by the Academy in the “Collection d’histoire de l’art” series.
Part of its mission is also the annual publication of Studiolo, a journal on art history, whose editorial board selects articles of high scientific quality each year.
The Department is also responsible for the conservation, study and enhancement of the Academy’s collections, library and historical archives.