Residences

Founded in 1666 by Louis XIV, the French Academy in Roma – Villa Medici has as its founding and central mission the reception of artists, authors and researchers. Benefiting from a residence grant, they live and work within its walls for a period of a few weeks to a year, in order to pursue a artistic or research project.

Throughout its history, the Academy has welcomed more than 2000 artists, including Ingres (who became director in 1835), Fragonard, Berlioz, Debussy, Carpeaux, Garnier, and in more recent times, Marie Ndiaye, Jean-Michel Othoniel or Yan Pei-Ming.

Today, Villa Medici is a multi-faceted institution, looking towards Europe and the Mediterranean at the same time: a major heritage site, a laboratory for creation and research, a centre for exhibitions and performances, and an ecologically responsible renaissance garden.

It has gradually opened up to all fields of artistic and literary creation, art history and theory, as well as to the restoration of works of art and monuments.

As a place of artistic residence, its action is twofold:

  • The reception of 16 fellows, artists, authors and researchers selected each year through a competition.
    They are provided with accommodation and a studio in order to devote themselves for a year to the project they are carrying out at Villa Medici.

Find out more about the fellows annual competition
Discover the current promotion

  • The reception of residents selected on the basis of an application file for a period of several weeks. Each year, nearly 30 residents are welcomed at Villa Medici.

→ Find out more about the Villa Medici short residence programmes
Discover the current residents

 

 

Photography: © Assaf Shoshan