A Legacy of Excellence

At I Tatti Bernard Berenson assembled a choice collection of Renaissance art, including works by Giotto, Sassetta, Domenico Veneziano, and Lorenzo Lotto. He also formed a prodigious art historical research library and photograph collection. When he died in 1959, he bequeathed the house, its contents, and the gardens to Harvard University as a Center for Renaissance Studies. This book documents the colorful life the Berensons led at I Tatti, the rich intellectual atmosphere they fostered there, and the spirit that continues and is nurtured by the Harvard Center.A Legacy of Excellence: The Story of Villa I Tatti is the first published account of life at the villa from the Berensons' early years there until the present day. The lavish illustrations include many new color photographs of the house, gardens, and art collection, as well as archival photographs of the Berenson circle. The book offers a fascinating view into their unique world, and into that of the Harvard Center today.