The Norwegian Institute in Rome celebrates 50 years

The Institute is marking the occasion with a variety of activities, including academic seminars and guided tours of Rome.

Friday’s celebration was held at the American Academy in Rome, where Queen Sonja received a warm welcome from Turid Karlsen Seim, Director of the Norwegian Institute in Rome. The programme included artistic as well as academic events.

Richard Brilliant, Professor Emeritus of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University, presented the seminar’s keynote lecture entitled “Late antiquity”.

In her remarks to the Institute, Queen Sonja stated:

"I must admit that I feel a little envious of the students at the Institute – who have the chance to delve into history and study art and architecture precisely here in Rome, so close to the sources - as we have heard is quite necessary. We can clearly see that understanding the past is the very key to understanding our own time, and possibly get an idea about the future."

Sopranos Chiara di Dino and Norwegian-Italian Elisabeth Nordberg-Schultz performed for the audience, accompanied by Matteo Helfer and Silvia Cappellini Sinopoli, respectively.

The Norwegian Institute in Rome

The Institute is a centre for research and education in archaeology and art and cultural history of the Mediterranean countries, and currently has eight employees.

Founded in 1959 with support from shipowners Nils Astrup and Thomas Fearnley, among others, the Institute began to flourish under the leadership of Professor Hans Peter L'Orange and moved its offices to a villa on Gianicolo Hill in 1962.

The Institute, which is part of the University of Oslo, offers courses to students from Norwegian universities as well as to upper-secondary school teachers.

The Queen is the patron of the Norwegian Institute in Rome.

Photography exhibition: Luoghi di Roma

On Saturday, Queen Sonja attended the opening of a photography exhibition entitled “Luoghi di Roma – Places in Rome” featuring the work of Norwegian photographer Morten Krogvold. The exhibition is being held at Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi, and has been organised to mark the Institute’s anniversary.