Purpose / Activities:

The Villa Romana is an international oriented institution in Florence, Italy. It accomodates the winners of the yearly announced Villa Romana-award as well as international guests. It presents current artistic positions and developments in exhibitions and presentations.

  The Villa Romana-Award is the oldest german award of visual arts. Since 1905 it is awarded to four young artists of visual arts. A several months' stay in the Villa Romana, a free studio as well as a monthly scholarship are part of the award.

  The Villa Romana-Award is supposed to give highly talented preferentially younger artists of visual arts the chance to advance their artistic skills during a longer term stay in Florence. Today the Villa Romana-Award's attraction lies in both its exclusiveness and its connection to an all-round network.

Founder and supporting organization of the Villa Romana-Award is the registered organization "Villa Romana (e.V.)". The Villa Romana institution and its correspondent award is subsidized essentially by the Deutsche Bank, by the German Federal Governments' commissioner on culture and media as well as private sponsors. 2006/2007 the Villa Romana was renovated with funds generously granted by the German Federal Government.

  Besides several studios and living spaces the Villa Romana hosts two exhibition rooms as well as guestrooms designated to international artists, trustees and guests. The Villa Romana posesses a garden, 15.000 square metres in large, that is used for public performances.

  Seated in Florence, a town famous for its richness of historical art treasures, the Villa Romana takes a stand as a forum on contemporary fine arts. By organizing exhibitions and employing different exhibition formates the Villa Romana seeks to enter into dialogue with the publics in site as well as it initiates cooperations with new partners interested in the advancement of fine arts.