Deadline: November 16, 2026
Applications are open for the Berenson Fellowship 2027-2028. This Fellowship, made possible by The Lila Wallace – Reader’s Digest Fund, is designed for scholars who explore “Italy in the World.” Projects should address the transnational dialogues between Italy and other cultures (e.g. Latin American, Mediterranean, African, Asian etc.) during the Renaissance, broadly understood historically to include the period from the 14th to the 17th century.
It is named after Bernard Berenson, who in his 1956 statement ‘On the Future of I Tatti’ expressed the hope that not only would scholars come from many countries, but that they would also travel in “what was the ancient Oecumene, not going farther East than the Euphrates and not farther South than Egypt and the great desert of North Africa” and be intimately acquainted with the Mediterranean countries and their “Hinterland.” Taking a broad geographic view of the Renaissance more than half a century ago, Berenson was a pioneer of the geographically expansive approach to the early modern world that this Fellowship wishes to encourage. Scholars working in all the fields supported by I Tatti—architecture and the arts, history, philosophy, literature, music and history of science—are encouraged to apply.
I Tatti offers Fellows the precious time they need to pursue their studies with a minimum of obligations and interruptions together with a maximum of scholarly resources—a combination that distinguishes the Harvard Center from similar institutions. Each year, a limited number of activities organized at I Tatti are reserved for the Fellows, and they are expected to join the wider community at conferences, lectures, and concerts. This is a residential fellowship of 4 or 6 months in length. Up to four fellowships will be awarded every year.
Benefits
- The grant is USD $5,200 per month, plus a one-time supplement (maximum USD $1,800) towards relocation expenses.
- In light of the residential nature of the fellowship, Fellows must live in the Florence area and spend at least three days a week at the center. When possible, an apartment will be set aside for the Fellow’s use, rent free, but with charges for utilities. If an apartment is not available, a housing subsidy will be offered to help offset rental costs.
Eligibility
- At the time of application, scholars must have a PhD in hand and will be asked to upload a scan of the certificate.
- They may not be working on a second PhD at the time of application.
- They should work solely on the project with which they applied and are not permitted to work simultaneously on editing other book or article projects. The proposed research project may represent a segment of a larger project.
- Applicants must be conversant in English and have familiarity with Italian.
- Priority will be given to early and mid-career scholars.
- It must be possible for applicants to carry out most of their research in Florence.
- I Tatti welcomes applications from scholars from all nations and gives special consideration to candidates without regular access to research materials and facilities in Italy.
Application
Applications can be written in English or Italian and must be submitted electronically by midnight (Cambridge, MA time) on November 16, 2026. Scholars can apply for only one type of fellowship at I Tatti Fellowship per academic year.
For more information, visit Berenson Fellowship.
