The Rome Academy of Fine Arts originates from the “Academy of St. Luke,” which was founded in the late 16th century and became a papal seat for artistic studies. It was at that time, in fact, a prestigious gathering place for artists and at the same time a teaching model to be imitated by similar developing institutions.
With the unification of Italy and with Rome as the capital, there was a need to initiate a reform of art education that would meet the needs of the young Italian state. A slow process followed that saw the emergence of educational types oriented toward cultural research and professionalism linked to industrial and craft development. The Academy, first took the name “Regia Accademia di Belle Arti denominated di San Luca,” then “Istituto di Belle Arti” until defining itself according to the current version as “Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma.”
The historic complex that houses it on Via di Ripetta, traditionally called “The Horseshoe,” was built in the 1840s as a dwelling building and was adapted to house the Academy with the addition of rooms specially designed for the Free School of the Nude.
