Swedish Institute at Rome
Encyclopedia
The Swedish Institute in Rome (Swedish: Svenska Institutet i Rom, Italian: Istituto Svedese di studi classici a Roma) is a research institution that serves as the base for archaeological excavations and other scientific research in Italy
. It also pursues academic instruction in archaeology
and art sciences as well as arranging conferences with themes of interest to the institute. The Institute has at its disposal a building in central Rome
with a relatively well-supplied library, archaeological laboratory and around twenty rooms and smaller apartments for the use of visiting researchers and holders of scholarships.
The institute was founded in 1925 by, among others, King Gustaf VI Adolf
, then Crown Prince of Sweden
.
, excavations were carried out on the Forum Romanum among other places, but since then most of them have taken place in southern Etruria
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It also pursues academic instruction in archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and art sciences as well as arranging conferences with themes of interest to the institute. The Institute has at its disposal a building in central Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
with a relatively well-supplied library, archaeological laboratory and around twenty rooms and smaller apartments for the use of visiting researchers and holders of scholarships.
The institute was founded in 1925 by, among others, King Gustaf VI Adolf
Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
Gustaf VI Adolf - Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf - was King of Sweden from October 29, 1950 until his death. His official title was King of Sweden, of the Goths and of the Wends. He was the eldest son of King Gustaf V and his wife Victoria of Baden...
, then Crown Prince of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Excavations
The Institute has conducted several major excavations. Before World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, excavations were carried out on the Forum Romanum among other places, but since then most of them have taken place in southern Etruria
Etruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
.
- AquarossaAcquarossa, ItalyAquarossa or Fosso Acqua Rossa is the modern name of the location of an ancient Etruscan settlement abandoned or destroyed in the second half of the sixth century BC. Located near Viterbo, in Etruria, was excavated by the Swedish Institute at Rome in the 1960s and 1970s.-External links:*...
, 1966-1978 - San GiovenaleSan GiovenaleSan Giovenale is the modern name of the location of an ancient Etruscan settlement close to the modern village of Blera, Italy. It was excavated by the Swedish Institute at Rome in the 1950s and 1960s with King Gustaf VI Adolf as one of the participating archaeologists...
, 1956-1965 - Luni sul Mignone, 1960-1963
- Selvasecca, 1965-1971
Directors
- Axel BoëthiusAxel BoëthiusAxel Boëthius was a scholar and archaeologist of the Etruscan culture. Boëthius was primarily a student of Etruscan and Italic architecture. His father was the historian Simon Boëthius....
(1926-35, 1952-53, 1955-57) - Einar GjerstadEinar GjerstadEinar Gjerstad was a Swedish archaeologist of the ancient Mediterranean, particularly known for his work on Cyprus, as well as his studies of early Rome....
(1935-40) - Erik SjöqvistErik SjöqvistErik Sjöqvist was the director of Swedish Cyprus Expedition and director of Swedish Institute at Rome, Italy and professor of classical archaeology at Princeton University....
(1940-48) - Arvid AndrénArvid AndrénArvid Andrén was a Swedish classical art historian who focused his work on decorative architectural terracotta sculpture from ancient Italy.Andrén served as director of the Swedish Institute at Rome from 1948 to 1952 and 1964-1966.-References:...
(1948-52, 1964-66) - Olov Vessberg (1953-55)
- Erik Wellin (1957-61)
- Bengt E. Thomasson (1961-64)
- Paul ÅströmPaul ÅströmPaul Åström was a Swedish archaeologist and classical scholar. He is mostly known for his achievements in the prehistoric archaeology of Cyprus.-Biography:...
(1967-70) - Carl Eric Östenberg (1970-78)
- Carl Nylander (1979-97)
- Anne-Marie Leander Touati (1997-2001)
- Barbro Santillo Frizell (2001-)