La Biblioteca d’arte di Villa Medici: una costruzione novecentesca
Livia Fasolo
This paper investigates the formation and evolution of the Art History Library of the French Academy in Rome, from 1803 onwards, when the Academy settled at the Villa Medici. Through a historical reconstruction of its spaces and a comparative analysis of the archival material preserved, the article traces the history of a major institution for French artists and scholars in Rome. It demonstrates how the modern library took shape fully only in the 1960s, under the directorship of Balthus (1961-1977), in a period of great transformation for the Academy. By examining key developments (the relocation of the library, the emergence of the role of librarian and the annual budget, the cataloging of the holdings) and focusing on the type of volumes acquired by Balthus, the article sheds new light not only on his role as director but also on other figures who have so far remained in his shadow, such as Janine Calisti-Cavaillès, the first head of the Villa Medici library and the architect of its renewal.