SLLC Students Visit Villa Full of Italian Art Treasures

Italian students take a trip to see “Villa Firenze Contemporanea”

Students from ITAL 499, ITAL 203 and ITAL 204 visited the residence of the Italian Ambassador in D.C., Mariangela Zappia, to see “Villa Firenze Contemporanea,” an exhibition of Italian contemporary art and design curated by architect Renata Cristina Mazzantini. Mazzantini selected over fifty works of art and design representing Italian creativity and elegance, placing them in the context of the Tudor-style architecture of Villa Firenze. The students toured the Villa guided by an officer who shared many anecdotes behind the making of the exhibition and the history of this luxurious space.

Ella Joliet, Italian minor, shares her experience during the trip stating, “I really enjoyed our morning and learning about Tudor-history. My favorite pieces were all of the oil paintings in the rotunda.” Joliet is taking ITAL 204 and planning to study in Italy this summer.

“The works are very beautiful and impressive. I appreciated seeing and learning about them and greatly enjoyed the visit,” said Dash Tischler who is taking the course “Made in Italy: Fashion, Design and Art that Made a Nation’s Brand.”

Built in 1927, the Villa welcomed many prestigious guests over the course of the past century, including President Hoover. In 1941, the mansion was sold to Colonel Robert Guggenheim. A devotee of Italian art, Guggenheim rechristened the villa with the name of his mother, Florence. It has been the residence of the Italian Ambassador in Washington D.C. since 1977.