Rome’s Villa Medici, Now an Art Museum, Plays a Starring Role in the Film Conclave

Davies says this particular villa was chosen for Conclave “because it had elements that had an essence of the Vatican gardens—a similar style, and some amazing views of Rome. It also had a very unusual and beautiful mosaic pond that we used to house the turtles for a couple of scenes.”

For the film, the villa was only slightly altered, given that it was also undergoing restoration work. Hedges and plants were utilized to conceal scaffolding, reveals Davies. And, since the villa is also as a museum, the crew worked closely with the staff to ensure filming didn’t affect day-to-day operations, adds Davies. “We filmed at night, too, when it was closed.” 

Currently, Villa Medici is presenting an exhibition titled “The Siren Song,” through January 13th, 2025. Curated by Sam Stourdzé and Caroline Courrioux, the exhibit focuses on the theme of water and features works by approximately 30 contemporary artists, including Madison Bycroft, Valentin Noujaïm, Monira Al Qadiri, Ariana Papademetropolous, and Chiyuki Sakagami, amongst others. 

Villa Medici became known as the French Academy in Rome thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte, who moved the academy to this location in 1803. He chose this particular structure in order to ensure its preservation, given that it was once at risk of being destroyed, during the French Revolution. At the time of Bonaparte’s decision to change the academy’s location, the villa and its surrounding landscape underwent a renovation, led by architect Auguste-Henri-Victor Grandjean de Montigny. A key motivating factor behind this renovation was the villa’s role as a home to the winners of the Prix de Rome, a French scholarship given to art students. 

Villa Medici’s influence extends beyond Rome; its architectural design was the basis for the second reconstruction of The Breakers Palm Beach, completed by Schultze & Weaver in 1926.

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