After a five-year hiatus, a longstanding scholarly tradition has returned to Newport. On Thursday, April 3, 2025, The Newport Symposium was revived by the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC), following its absence from the annual event calendar during the COVID years and the subsequent period of readjustment.
The event, titled “Newport ‘Piccolo Simposio’” (meaning “small symposium” in Italian): Italian Influence in Newport, was a day-long exploration of how Italian art and design shaped the Gilded Age aesthetic in this historic city. This highly anticipated event delved into the profound Italian influence on the art and architecture of Newport’s iconic mansions. The symposium examined how Italian art, architecture, and design permeated the Gilded Age estates—from their grand facades to intricate interior details. Experts discussed a wide variety of topics, including the art-collecting habits of the Gilded Age elite, Italian-inspired furniture and woodwork, Renaissance influences on architecture, and the impact of Italian landscapes and gardens on the construction of Newport’s grand properties between 1865 and 1915.
The Dining Room inside Chateau Sur Mer.
As with past Newport Symposia, the Preservation Society assembled a distinguished panel of experts, including art historians, curators, and design specialists. Speakers included notable figures such as Nathaniel Silver, Associate Director and Chief Curator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and Catherine Hess, former Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Getty Museum. The event was held at Rosecliff, one of the Preservation Society’s most elegant mansions. Its grand ballroom was perfectly suited to accommodate the large number of attendees at this sold-out conference, which drew both academics and amateur scholars.
In 1902, the architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles.
This year, the organizers expanded the traditional format of scholarly lectures by including afternoon tours of various properties, allowing attendees to experience firsthand the subjects of the academic presentations. The Breakers, The Elms, and Chateau-sur-Mer were all opened to participants, with guided tours led by the lecturers themselves, who highlighted specific details relevant to the symposium’s central theme of Italian influence. The day concluded with a lovely reception at Rosecliff, where attendees could mingle, network, and discuss the ideas presented during the day’s events. In keeping with tradition, the reception was an elegant affair, featuring passed hors d’oeuvres, a well-tended bar, and a lively gathering of scholars and supporters.
An interior perspective of the Breakers Mansion overlooking Easton Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
The return of the Newport Symposium provided a unique opportunity for visiting scholars to engage in meaningful discussions, while also giving local residents and Preservation Society supporters a deeper appreciation of the art and architecture they help preserve. Newport’s portfolio of Gilded Age art and architecture is unmatched anywhere in the country, and it is heartening to see these treasures once again celebrated and studied in an academic setting.
The Breakers Mansion in Newport, in which A4 Architecture has completed several interior renovations.
The Newport Symposia also reaffirms the idea that these mansions are not merely tourist attractions or engines of the local economy (though they are certainly both), but also invaluable cultural resources held in trust for the benefit of the nation and the world. They help tell the story of the Gilded Age with an authenticity that cannot be replicated. For all who attended, the return of the Newport Symposium to the PSNC’s annual calendar was a most welcome development. In November, the second half of this year’s symposium will explore the French Influence on Newport’s Mansions. This continuation will not only help the PSNC make up for the missed years but also establish the Newport Symposium in its new permanent calendar slot in late autumn—when house museums are less crowded, and accommodations are more accessible for scholars.
With the revival of the Newport Symposium, the Preservation Society of Newport County’s commitment to preserving and interpreting the historic treasures of the Gilded Age remains as strong as ever, ensuring these remarkable resources continue to captivate and educate future generations.
Ross Sinclair Cann, AIA, LEED AP, is an author, historian, educator, and a practicing architect at A4 Architecture who lives and works in Newport, Rhode Island. He teaches architectural history in the Circle of Scholars program at Salve Regina University and writes on the subject of design, planning and architectural history for a variety of publications.