“Interdisciplinary is the buzzword today. I Tatti is a place where you actually live it,” he says.

I Tatti has similarly sought to increase the geographical representation of its Fellows. Until the mid-1990s, half of the fellows were from North America, with another quarter from Italy. Today, that sum is just 40 percent. Villa i Tatti is committed to “reaching beyond the traditional boundaries of our center,” says Pertile, who will travel to China, Japan and Mexico next year in an effort to promote I Tatti in the far corners of the globe.

“The time has come to make ourselves available to the world,” he says.

Despite its efforts to become a more globally-focused institution, at its core, I Tatti is committed to preserving the vision and lifestyle of Berenson from nearly a century ago.

Berenson’s grave lies next to a small 18th century chapel just outside I Tatti, but his legacy and spirit are alive and well at the Villa, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last June in a grand celebration with some 300 guests. “He had a vision to hand Villa i Tatti down beyond his own life to scores of young people who would be able to enjoy it and take advantage of it in the way he did before,” says Pertile. “Everything still speaks of him.”

—Staff writer Alyza J. Sebenius can be reached at asebenius@college.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Michael C. George can be reached at mgeorge@college.harvard.edu.