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The enchantment of Villa Medici
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Italian Landscape with Umbrella Pines, Hendrik Voogd, 1807
The guest room designed by Zanellato/Bortotto in collaboration with Incalmi for Villa Medici, the historic home of the French Academy in Rome.

Villa Medici is a splendid Renaissance palace that overlooks the city of Rome from the Pincian Hill. Since 1803, it has been home to the French Academy, an institution founded in 1666 that welcomes artists, creators, and researchers in residence each year, while also hosting exhibitions, talks, concerts, and festivals.
Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
"Restoring the enchantment of Villa Medici" is the title of a renovation program launched in 2022, aimed at promoting contemporary design by bringing it into dialogue with historical heritage and Italian craftsmanship. Under the direction of Sam Stourdzé, the program began with the refurbishment of the reception rooms curated by Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi, and continued with the redesign of the historic bedrooms by India Mahdavi. The most recent phase involved the renovation of the guest rooms:"We entrusted six rooms at Villa Medici to teams of architects and designers who worked closely with artisans, fostering a spirit of dialogue across different disciplines," explains Sam Stourdzé. "The idea was to transform the experience of these spaces, giving them new uniqueness through a strong artistic gesture. Villa Medici is an extraordinary ground for experimentation."

The designers and artisan studios were selected by a jury of experts that included Alberto Cavalli of Homo Faber, Domitilla Dardi of Edit Napoli, Hedwige Gronier of the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, Hervé Lemoine of the Mobilier National, Christine Macel from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, India Mahdavi, Isabelle de Ponfilly, and Sam Stourdzé from the French Academy in Rome."I find Director Stourdzé’s approach—and more broadly the French context—remarkably forward-thinking in its regard for artisans, who are referred to as 'les partenaires,' a term that emphasizes their importance to the project," says Patrizia Mian of Incalmi.
The Colosseum and Alban Mount, Samuel Palmer, 1843
Among the selected projects is Il cielo in una stanza by Giorgia Zanellato and Daniele Bortotto, with Incalmi as their artisan partner. Inspired by a walk through the city, Il cielo in una stanza draws on distinctive elements of Rome—from iconic travertine marble to the deep blues of the Roman sky. "As always in our practice, we like to start from the place itself. We sought to recreate, through materials, colors, and textures, the atmosphere you experience walking through Rome," says Giorgia Zanellato. A large green wall, clad in fire-enameled copper tiles, evokes the maritime pines. The bathroom is inspired by Rome’s fountains, while the kitchen reinterprets opus incertum and opus spicatum, patterns typical of Roman flooring, and the balustrades reference traditional sun-breaking brick screens.
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
"Like Balthus before them, Giorgia Zanellato and Daniele Bortotto have succeeded in creating harmony and unity within the space," says Patrizia Mian. "By working with tones that echo the sky and nature, they create a striking sense of continuity between the indoors and outdoors, while every detail—from the lighting to the furnishings—blends in elegantly. "Sam Stourdzé adds: "The project subtly enhances the room’s volumes and natural light through a play of material geometries and color contrasts. Travertine, enameled copper, clay, wood, and velvet—all invite the eye and highlight the value of artisanal craftsmanship. The resulting harmony is truly remarkable!"
Incalmi’s role was not limited to production support—it was an active collaboration from the early pre-selection phase of the project, which officially began in January 2024 after a long series of preliminary meetings and discussions. As Giorgia Zanellato explains: “We do a lot of research into traditional craft techniques, seeking to reinterpret them through a contemporary lens. Material—and working with material—is always our starting point. That’s why dialogue with artisans is essential from the very beginning: there must be skilled hands and a receptive mindset. ”Following the selection, Incalmi developed the design for the enameled tiles covering the concave wall, taking into account the site-specific constraints, and went on to produce 616 enamel-coated copper pieces, crafted in the color and finish specified by Zanellato/Bortotto, and delivered within the timeframe agreed upon with Villa Medici. "At Incalmi, we found a thoughtful, dynamic, and inspiring partner. We've had an ongoing dialogue for several years now, and our shared vision continues to evolve," concludes Giorgia Zanellato.
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
Incalmi also worked with the designers to define the lighting points and went on to design and produce custom Specola lamps: five wall lamp —two by the bed, one in the bathroom, one in the kitchen, and one in the living room—a table lamp, and a floor lamp. Additionally, Incalmi designed and crafted the coat hangers and cabinet handles for the kitchen, produced the tabletops for the side tables designed by Moroso, and contributed to the technical design of various elements such as the staircase and balustrade, carrying out all necessary site surveys.
Specola lamp
Specola lamp
Kelmo Custom lamp
"Designing the wall covering with 150x50 mm fire-enameled copper tiles was definitely the most complex challenge," says Gianluca Zanella of Incalmi. "The wall is four and a half meters high and one meter wide; it’s concave, with iron and wood steps and anchored balustrades. Moreover, the lower section is made of masonry, while the upper part is drywall. These were all challenges we had to tackle—and we overcame them by working closely with the construction teams, following every stage of the wall’s preparation and the installation of the cladding directly on site."
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
Il cielo in una stanza, Villa Medici, ph Daniele Molajoli
For Incalmi, taking part in the refurbishment of Villa Medici is a source of great pride—not only because of the extraordinary nature of the site, the talent of the designers, and the challenges that make each project unique and stimulating, but above all for having restored enchantment to the Villa through fire-enameled copper, a nearly forgotten technique once highly valued in France as well, and now given its rightful recognition.

"To restore enchantment means to follow in the footsteps of those who, since the Renaissance, have made Villa Medici a truly unique place—a crossroads of different styles and eras," concludes Stourdzé. "This project invites us to look at heritage with fresh eyes, through contemporary interventions that re-enchant our relationship with place."


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