American Academy of Rome

This afternoon we visited the beautiful American Academy of Rome.  It is a place where scholars and brilliant people go to do research in many fields. http://www.aarome.org/

The inner courtyard

There are many programs but only between 60 to 100 people are at the academy at any given time.  It is many buildings in one section of the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome on a hill that leads to Via Garibaldi with an unbelievable view of Rome.  It is not too far from my hotel.

As we walked in to the right 

Today, we were given a tour by a Japanese woman.  We toured the main palazzo (building) were they have many rooms for classes and research.  All meals are served in the palazzo.

Walking through the main building on our tour there is a cafe' in the building with a very nice bar.

There are two gardeners that take care of all of the gardens.

A Berkley professor began the gardens and brought a chef from California to cook for the community.  They also buy organic food from farmers.  All meals are eaten at the Academy.  They have 7 different types of basil.  I didn't even know there were 7 different types.   They have many fruit trees like the plum tree to the right.  

In the backyard there is a beautiful grass area and another little villa that is the music conservatory.  The American Academy of Rome hosts many concerts for the Roman community.  There are always music scholars here.  On the little hill where the tree is in front of the villa is where Galileo tested his telescope 400 years ago.  The American University recently has a celebration here honoring Galileo.

On our way to the villa donated in 1911 by the final owner, a Philadelphia woman, to the Academy.  The grounds of this villa are absolutely beautiful.