British School at Rome

British School at Rome
Established	1901
Location	Rome, Italy London, United Kingdom
Type	Research center Humanities & Visual Arts
Director	Christopher Smith
Website	Official website

The British School at Rome is the United Kingdom's leading humanities research institution abroad.

Its mission is “to promote knowledge of and deep engagement with all aspects of the art, history and culture of Italy by scholars and fine artists from Britain and the Commonwealth, and to foster international and interdisciplinary exchange.”

It was established in 1901 and granted a Royal Charter in 1912.

Today the BSR awards highly competitive residential scholarships and fellowships to artists and scholars from across the Commonwealthfor periods from 3 to 12 months.

Awards are made in the following fields

• • Archaeology of Italy and the Mediterranean
  • Late Antique and Medieval History
  • Renaissance and Enlightenment studies
  • Modern Italian Studies
  • Architectural History
  • Architecture including Landscape Architecture
  • Visual Arts

All scholars, artists and award holders share the same purpose built building located north of the Pincio in the elegant Parioli district. The main structure of the British School at Rome was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (inspired by the upper storey of St Paul's Cathedral in London) for the British Pavilion at the International Exhibition held in Rome in 1911 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the unification of Italy. Shortly afterwards the land was offered by the Italian state to the British people for the establishment of the BSR and the conversion to a permanent building was completed in 1916.

Its current director is Professor Christopher Smith.

Bibliography

• T.P. Wiseman, A Short History of the British School at Rome, 1990
• A. Wallace-Hadrill, The British School at Rome: One Hundred Years, 2001

See also

• Villa Borghese gardens

External links

• The British School at Rome website including an introduction
• Responding to Rome (1995–2005) exhibition at Estorick Collection — 2006 exhibition of contemporary British artists who have been awarded scholarships at the British School at Rome