The University of St. Thomas Bernardi Campus is located on the west bank of the Tiber River in Rome, Italy. It provides housing to students in three St. Thomas study-abroad programs – the Center for Catholic Studies’ undergraduate and graduate programs and the Rome Liberal Arts Semester – as well as to students in summer programs from other institutions. In addition, it offers overnight accommodations to members of the St. Thomas community who are traveling.
The campus consists of an Italian Liberty-style palazzo that was built as a residential estate in 1923. The 20,000-square-foot building was purchased in 1999 with the support of a generous gift from Antonio and Cecilia Bernardi, parents and grandparents of St. Thomas alumni.
The building underwent a significant restoration and renovation. Today it includes suitable living space for more than 40 students and other guests, a dining room, a computer lab, a rooftop terrace, a traditional Roman courtyard, study spaces, sitting rooms and a chapel.
The Bernardi Campus serves as a cultural bridge between St. Thomas’ home campuses in Minnesota and the international community. Catholic culture is manifest throughout the campus, marked by hospitality, excellence in customer service, physical signs of Catholic identity, and relationships and partnerships within the Catholic affiliate circles of Rome and with other educational institutions. It provides to all who use it both prayerful solitude and social-engagement opportunities in the Eternal City.
The Bernardi Campus is a gem in the academic, spiritual and cultural experiences of St. Thomas students in Rome. The university was fortunate to be able to purchase this marvelous residence. The Bernardis' very generous gift helped St. Thomas to acquire the property, and now the goal is to eliminate the remaining debt on the campus and to establish an endowment to provide for maintenance and improvement. Other priorities for funding exist within the building.