Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze is a privately owned institution headquartered in Italy. Founded in 1563, the organization was subsequently reorganized in 1784 by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo I of Lorraine and separated from the Academy of Arts of Design. The institution, which reported $22.7M in revenue as of 2023, employs approximately 160 individuals. Functioning as a public institution for artistic training, it is part of the Afam-Alta Formazione artistica, musicale e coreutica sector of the Ministry of Education, University and Research. The Academy offers first and second level courses and Masters, serving approximately 1400 enrolled students. Alongside its teaching activities, it engages in artistic production and research through student exhibitions, cultural and performative events, publications, and conference organization. Enrolled students are provided with access to scholarships, accommodation, canteen services, internships at affiliated entities, and opportunities for international study and research through programs like Erasmus+. Integral components of the Academy include the Scuola Libera del Nudo, which offers figure drawing lessons utilizing live models, and a substantial artistic-cultural heritage comprising a collection of plaster casts and statues, a 19th-century library, and a historical archive. This archive preserves items such as Galilean manuscripts, a collection of drawings initiated in 1924 by Felice Carena, and Napoleonic-era documents.
