Global Programs celebrated the 50th anniversary of Casa Artom with a return to Wake Forest’s home in Venice. Alumni and their families, faculty, administrators and friends gathered for a one-of-a-kind reunion in May 2023. More than 2,000 Wake Forest alumni called Casa Artom “home” for a summer, semester or short-term program, and the bond participating alumni, faculty and staff share spans five decades.
Study abroad is an integral part of Wake Forest’s holistic educational model because global learning experiences significantly impact intellectual, personal and professional growth. In Venice, Wake Forest University has been privileged to offer a range of engaged cultural learning experiences at Casa Artom, a historic site that formerly housed the American consulate. Since Wake Forest acquired Casa Artom in 1971 as its first overseas residence, the University has secured residences in Vienna and London, established the Center for Global Programs and Studies, and broadened the scope of University-sponsored and affiliate programs.
About the Event
- Check out the Schedule of Events.
- Share your stories, memories and photos from your time at Casa Artom to add to the Program Scrapbook.
History of Casa Artom
In the late 1960s, Wake Forest University conceived the idea of offering students a semester of study in Europe. In 1971, it acquired what was once the American consulate in Venice and purchased the property outright from the U.S. government in 1974. Casa Artom, Wake Forest’s first overseas residence, is dedicated to the memory of faculty member Dr. Camillo Artom (1893-1970). Dr. Artom was a renowned biochemist who fled fascist Italy in 1939 and served as chair of the biochemistry department at Wake Forest’s medical school, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, until 1961.
Dr. Artom’s wife, Bianca Artom, taught Italian at Wake Forest, and she became the first director of the Venice program. Through her personal contacts in Venice, Wake Forest was able to hire renowned art historian Dr. Terisio Pignatti, who taught art history at Casa Artom for more than 30 years.
2023 Gala
Friday, May 19, 2023
Fellow alumni of the Casa Artom program, faculty, and University administrators gather and celebrate with a delicious meal and beautiful Italian wines!
