Origins and Development of the American Campus: The “Academical Village” of Thomas Jefferson

The study intends to analyze the many influences that led Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, to conceive and realize a very innovative project for universities in America. The research, started many years ago and still ongoing, is based on the very large amount of original documents and on the ever-growing bibliography. It was carried out partly in the USA, thanks to funding from the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Through this, relationships were established with other institutions, suchas the New York University Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò and the School of Architecture of the University of Virginia.