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Master Gardener residency
In 2026, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici, the École supérieure de jardin and the Fondation Diptyque have co-created a unique residency dedicated to the art of gardens, for apprentice master gardeners, to be held from May 24 to 29, 2026. This initiative represents a key moment for the students as they complete a year of training.
The residency project
The program aims to offer a group of Licence 3 students in the master gardener training program at the École supérieure de jardin (ESJ) a tailored, week-long residency at Villa Medici.
Rome’s historic gardens provide an exceptional setting for exploration and study, approached from multiple perspectives: historical, botanical, artistic, and societal.
The program
During a week-long immersion in Rome, guided by a panel of expert garden and landscape designers, future master gardeners combine classroom sessions on the history of gardens with on-site visits. This approach helps them develop a deeper understanding of complex landscapes and their day-to-day management, with a strong focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility. Throughout the week, they consolidate and apply the knowledge acquired during the year: ranging from plant species and the evolution of garden forms to their adaptation to today’s major ecological, landscape, and societal challenges.
As part of the residency, students explore several remarkable landscaped sites across Rome and the Lazio region. They also talk with Villa Medici’s team of gardeners, who have been maintaining its seven hectares of historic gardens using eco-responsible practices for over fifteen years. In particular, students discover the 300 citrus trees that define the gardens (bitter orange trees, lemons, and citrons), continuing a Medici tradition that valued both their ornamental and medicinal qualities.
Following these visits, students take part in a series of workshops and are assessed on their ability to produce site-specific analyses, identify key characteristics and sensitivities, and examine the structure of plant compositions.
Courses in garden history place special emphasis on the knowledge and practices of European garden designers, from Antiquity to the present day. Drawing workshops complement this learning, equipping students with the tools to create both analytical and expressive representations of the gardens they study, exploring form, pattern, composition, and scale.
Finally, the last day is devoted to the final presentations: the students present their work to a panel of experts including members of the École supérieure de jardin, Villa Medici and Fondation Diptyque.
The Master Gardener residency program is not open to applications; it is intended for students of the École supérieure de jardin.
Edition 2026
From May 24 to 29, 2026, the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici will host apprentice master gardeners from the first graduating class of the École supérieure de jardin and their teaching staff. The residency program includes visits to emblematic sites, including the gardens of the Quirinale, the garden of Palazzo Barberini, Villa Borghese, and Villa d’Este in Tivoli.
This immersive week is a key part of their training, combining theoretical learning, on-site observation and exchanges with professionals.
In partnership with
Villa Medici parterre garden
Peacock on the shoulder of a Niobid
Cleopatra’s Loggia
Villa Medici parterre garden
Statue of Hermes in the garden paths
Villa Medici parterre garden
The Niobides group
The gardens of Villa Medici
The historic gardens of Villa Medici cover almost 7 hectares and boast a rich plant heritage, including the last remaining examples of the majestic umbrella pines planted by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in the early 19th century.
