13 December 2006
“An Evening with the Embassy and the Academy”, December 13, 2006
Ambassador Francis Rooney hosted a group of prominent Vatican journalists for cocktails and conversation, followed by a dinner hosted by the Director of the American Academy in Rome, Prof. Carmela Vircillo Franklin. The evening aimed to familiarize representatives of the media with the work of these two American institutions on the Janiculum Hill. The event was attended by more than twenty journalists, as well as the thirty plus Fellows and associates of the American Academy, and members of the embassy staff.
The evening began with cocktails hosted by the Ambassador and Mrs. Rooney at Villa Richardson, where guests were able to view a modern art collection provided under the U.S. Department of State’s “Art in Embassies” program. Ambassador Rooney thanked members of the Vatican media corps present for the important work they do in reporting on developments related to the U.S. - Holy See relationship, and invited them to appreciate the art throughout the residence while getting acquainted with senior staff and trustees of the American Academy in Rome.
In the modern American tradition of a “progressive dinner,” guests walked from Villa Richardson to the American Academy where Professor Franklin presented the Fellows and their research projects to the interested audience of journalists and embassy staff. The American Academy in Rome is a leading center for independent study and advanced research in the arts and humanities. The Fellows, winners of the Rome Prize, are some of America’s most gifted artists and scholars.
Scholarships awarded by the American Academy in Rome allow Fellows (and their families) to live and study in Rome for up to two years. The Fellows’ areas of expertise and study are extremely diverse and include landscape architecture, design, historic preservation and conservation, literature, musical composition, visual arts, renaissance and early modern Italian studies.
Following the presentation, journalists, staff of the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, and American Academy staff, Trustees and Fellows, shared a great meal and lively conversation.
For more information about the American Academy in Rome and the winners of the coveted Rome Prize please visit their site at www.aarome.org.
Ambassador Rooney greets Mario Biasetti |
Professor Bill Franklin and Sabina Castelfranco |
Yago de la Cierva, Ariane Rollier, John Thavis, and Raphaella Schmid. |
Director Carmela Vircillo Franklin with the Academy Fellows and Associates |
Ambassador Rooney, Courtney Walsh and Mario Biasetti of Fox News |
