Now Announced: Villa La Pietra Internships at NYU Florence (Three Project Opportunities) due January 29 at 5pm
NYU Program in Museum Studies at Villa La Pietra, New York University Florence
Spring-Summer 2026: 3 positions, 7 weeks
DEADLINE TO APPLY: January 29, 2026 by 5PM EST
FINALISTS’ INTERVIEWS ONLINE: FEBRUARY 5-10
DECISION RESPONSES: FEBRUARY 16, 2026
PERIOD at Villa La Pietra Florence:
Suggested from the week of May 18 – through July 3, 2026
Applications must be submitted via Google form.
You may direct questions before the application deadline to Rosanna: rosanna.flouty@nyu.edu
Applications must include: a cover letter with motivation and a resume/CV.
Project 1: Documentation, collection care, and educational activities in the Acton House Museum
The Acton Collection is displayed in Villa La Pietra, a Renaissance villa on the northern hills of the city at NYU’s Florence campus. Collected during the early 20th century by Hortense Mitchell Acton from Chicago and Arthur Acton from London. It was donated in 1994 to NYU by their son, Sir Harold (1904-1994). It comprises over 7,000 art objects, including paintings, sculptures, textile, household objects, and furniture, dating from the Classical Age to the early 20th century. The Villa also preserves the family library and an archive of photographs that have been digitized and are now in process of being cataloged. The TMS Collections and Conservation Studio platform (Gallery Systems) holds the metadata for both the museum and garden collections.
The intern will assist with the creation of new records related to the collection’s preservation and loans, as well as being involved in the cataloging of the historical collection photographs. The student will also be involved in preventive conservation activities, and in the presentation of the Villa, its history, collections, and its public outreach by giving tours and creating new digital content and relevant material for social media platforms.
Preference will be given to students with a European/Asian art history background and who are strongly organized, detail-oriented, and proficient in collection management databases.
The project takes place at Villa La Pietra, under the supervision of the Collection Manager, Francesca Baldry. Visits to other house museums and archives will be organized. The student will also interact with local conservators, with the Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Faculty and graduate students who are carrying out projects at the Villa.
Time Commitment: The project generally spans seven weeks, with activities carried out five days a week between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. One day could be dedicated to museum visits.
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Project 2: The Acton Guest Book (1923-1994): documentation, research and accessibility
Between 1923 and 1994, the Acton family kept a guest book that represents a living memory of the social life of the Villa. The bound volume preserved in the collection has been digitized (with high-resolution photographs) and will eventually be made accessible to students, faculty and scholars for study and research. An on-going project has been identifying and transcribing each individual signature. These have in turn been entered into a database containing biographical information on each guest, with social and professional status, cultural background, and relationship to the Acton family. The student will assist with the continued documentation of these signatures and baseline research on these visitors, but will also be involved in creating new digital content and relevant material for the various platforms.
Preference will be given to students who are highly organized, detail-oriented, and proficient in Microsoft Excel and AirTable. The subject matter of the Acton guest book is related to 20th century history, art and society, therefore students interested in this period are encouraged to apply. This year the research project will focus on the last period of Sir Harold’s life (1970s through the 1990s), when the Villa returned to be a celebrated cosmopolitan salon. Accessibility online of the Acton Guest Book database will be subject of discussion with possible solutions.
The project takes place in Villa La Pietra, under the supervision of the Senior Coordinator for Digital Learning and Innovation, Scott Palmer and of the Collection Manager, Francesca Baldry. Visits to other house museums and archives will be organized.
Time Commitment: The project generally spans seven weeks, with activities carried out five days a week between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
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Project 3: Events Planning and Communication
Beginning in 2005, Villa La Pietra has hosted a rich program of summer events entitled The Season, which takes advantage of the unique setting of La Pietra’s historical garden. The program usually features theatrical and musical performances, literary and film presentations, in both English and Italian. For the Summer 2026 edition, we are contemplating the organization of 5 to 6 events.
The intern will have the opportunity to be involved in all stages of planning the events, collaborating closely with the Visit and Events Coordinator. Tasks include: design and preparation of the full program and the individual programs; creation of other promotional materials; general assistance in the organization and use of the spaces for each event – whether outside in the garden or in one of the indoor spaces – in collaboration with the artistic directors and assistants; communication to the public; maintenance of the database and other occasional clerical work; and follow up with statistical analysis and reports on the events.
For this year’s 20th anniversary, we would like to develop digital and printed material that documents the history of The Season. The student will be asked to make suggestions on how to utilize some of the rich material that is available (videos, photographs, etc).
The student will be involved in the presentation of the Villa, its history, collections and its public outreach by giving tours and will also be involved in creating new digital content and relevant material for the various platforms.
Knowledge of computer design and graphics, and an interest in digital technology and interpretation is highly recommended (Adobe In-Design, Photoshop).
The project takes place in Villa La Pietra, under the supervision of the Visit and Events Coordinator, Cristina Fantacci, and of the Collection Manager, Francesca Baldry.
Time Commitment: The project generally spans seven weeks, with activities carried out five days a week between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. As the programming of the events is usually in the early evenings, this schedule will need to be adjusted accordingly.
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IMPORTANT:
All three interns might be involved in different capacities in the Florence and the Déco research-display project (with Palazzo Medici Riccardi) or the Florence in Global China project, as well as to provide support during public evening events and give tours of the collection.