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Medici Residency
with the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation
Each year, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici offers a residency program lasting one month for 6 professionals working in the field of arts and crafts, taking place between January and December 2026. This initiative is part of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” program, launched in 2022 with the support of the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, which aims to redevelop all the spaces of the Villa Medici while showcasing the excellence of French and Italian craftsmanship.
The residence
Reception conditions
- 1-month residency at Villa Medici (Rome, Italy)
- Provision of a room in shared accommodation
- If required, access to a shared workshop
- Access to work tools available to the residents of Villa Medici
- Assistance in establishing contacts with local production partners (prior to the residency), artists and companies
- The residency at Villa Medici may in particular lead to the creation of one or more works specially conceived in resonance with Villa Medici’s environment. The production phase is naturally envisaged as a second step, following the residency
- As part of the residency, Villa Medici may request that one or more copies of the objects/works created during the residency remain at Villa Medici, in order to be incorporated into the redevelopment projects of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” program
Financial terms and conditions
- Villa Medici will cover transportation costs up to a maximum of €1,000 return.
- Residence grant: €2,500
- A production grant may be made available on the basis of a budget submitted as part of the application (including, where applicable, a description of the production tools required for the project). Maximum budget: €5,000. In cases where the work is intended specifically for Villa Medici, to be integrated into the redevelopment projects of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” program, additional resources may be allocated for its production, along with the possibility of a second residency
Applications
For whom?
- The call for applications is addressed to professionals in the arts and crafts sector.
- Applicants must submit a detailed creative project, specifying how it was conceived and, where applicable, identifying production partners in Italy, technical specifications, a production budget and a timetable for completion.
How?
- The application must include the application form duly completed on the online platform
- A photocopy of both sides of an identity document
- A detailed presentation of the residency project (5 pages maximum): research, technical requirements, production schedule and, if applicable, a production budget
- CV (max. 2 pages)
- A portfolio presenting a selection of past creations (10 pages max.)
Texts must be written in French. All documents must be submitted to the platform in PDF format.
Submission of an application constitutes a firm commitment to take part in the residency if the application is accepted.
Past winners
- Anaïs Jarnoux (2023-2024)
- Hugo Drubay (2023-2024)
- Mylinh Nguyen (2022-2023)
- Caterina et Marc Aurel (2022-2023)
The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation
The Bettencourt Schueller Foundation is both a family foundation and, since its creation in 1987, has been recognized as a public utility. Bettencourt Schueller Foundation aims to “give wings to talent” in order to contribute to France’s success and influence.
To this end, it seeks out, selects, supports and promotes men and women who are today imagining the world of tomorrow, in three fields that contribute concretely to the common good: life sciences, the arts and solidarity. In a spirit of philanthropy, the foundation acts through prizes, donations, personalized support, communication and co-constructed initiatives.
Since its creation, the Foundation has awarded 634 prizes and supported over 1,000 projects led by talented individuals, teams, associations and organizations.
The Foundation has been involved in the arts and crafts sector for over 20 years. It was one of the first to promote the contemporary dimension of these crafts through the Liliane Bettencourt Prize for the Intelligence of the Hand®. It identifies these skills as an asset of international appeal that needs to be promoted abroad. It has contributed to the recognition of arts and crafts as an artistic practice eligible for international residencies. In this context, it has been a patron of Villa Kujoyama since 2014, of Villa Albertine since 2021 and now also of Villa Medici.
Residents
Medici Residency - with the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation
Refurbishing of the Historical Areas
Re-enchanting Villa Medici
How can we change the way we look at Villa Medici and make it a living showcase for contemporary expertise while retaining the Renaissance spirit? This is the ambition of the vast redevelopment project named 'Re-enchanting Villa Medici', launched in 2022 to promote contemporary design and craftsmanship that interact harmoniously with the historical heritage.
