In Memory of Allan Ceen, 1934 - 2024
“Allan Ceen has been teaching with the Pantheon Institute since it’s inception in 2009. Before that, he was instrumental in establishing a new course for the previous Penn State “Sede di Roma” Architecture program. Our partnership with Allan and his Studium Urbis goes back to 1990. In all this time of working with Allan, I have had the pleasure to witness the undeniable influence he has had on all our students and the positive impact on their learning that he accomplished.
Allan’s course, Imago Urbis; Roman Cartographic History, was specific to Rome in a way tailored precisely to architecture students coming to Rome. His delivery was scholarly, thorough, incredibly erudite, and wonderfully pragmatically passionate. This is a rare combination. For Allan, his was not his profession, it was his vocation.
The course was taught with a vital, hands active form of physical engagement bordering on physical education; specifically, an urban phys-ed experience. Walking through streets, drawing, mapping, and making environment memories; transposing bodily experience into communicable images are the invigorating insightful moments for all those fortunate enough to be his students.
His love for this city was manifest in every talk and during every walk. Cars were often the brunt of Allan’s negative assessment of the city’s administration, as they diminished the true essence of urbanity – the experience of community in every step through Rome’s “eternal” architecture.
As a researcher, Allan’s manner of inquiry, analyzing and exploring the potential of maps and urban representions, is a research avenue further pursued by more than a few of our graduates who went on to PhD level research and teaching careers.
Allan’s interest in working with other professors in partnership to further students’ understanding is legendary. It was in Allan’s Studium that I met and arranged the first collaboration that led to the formation of the Accademia Adrianea, now hosting the most successful European Master’s program in architecture. Allan’s contributions to our early lectures and his guided walks through Villa Adriana will live on as seminal moments in the Accademia’s academic and institutional journey.
In addition, and on a personal note, Allan, away from the classroom, has been a father figure to so many students and to specific individuals who owe him more than academic gratitude. Having come to know him up close, over all these many years, Allan was essentially a good person. Kind, and instinctively generous with his knowledge, he understood that even scientific insight is a resource best utilized through passionate sharing. Impatient with laziness and stupidity, but open and giving in personal as well as intellectual relations, Allan embodied true com-passion.
Thank you, Allan, here and elsewhere, you will never be forgotten.” – Romolo Martemucci, President of Pantheon Institute
About the Pantheon Institute
The Pantheon Institute offers study abroad programming for Architecture and Landscape Architecture that is firmly rooted in the American liberal arts tradition. Centrally located in the heart of Rome, our distinguished and dedicated faculty engage students through immersive learning, using Italy itself to explore the transformative power of structural design and urban planning.
IMPACT
Pantheon Institute is a leader in the worldwide conversation on architecture and design. Our collaboration with the Accademia Adrianea and their itinerant Master’s program has led to groundbreaking research publications, award-winning design competitions, and the highest levels of academic instruction, putting Pantheon Institute at the forefront of the conversation on how architecture and design shapes our world.
Pantheon Institute gains students entry to lectures with leading architects and designers, facilitates enrollment to internships with prominent Italian architecture firms and Roman museums, and grants students entry in the annual Premio Piranese, an international design competition where our students work alongside graduate level architects and other design professionals.
academics
& Programs
The Pantheon Institute offers a selection of courses that put Rome at the forefront. On-site learning plays a fundamental part in our curriculum. Our students interact daily with the city’s pervasive legacy, befitting from the first-hand experience with the local history just outside their door.
Semester
15-week programs are offered every Fall and Spring semester. Programming curriculum is designed for advanced architecture and landscape architecture undergraduates.
Students enroll for 13-16 credits, including a 4-credit Italian language course. Supplemental liberal arts and independent study classes are offered.
Summer
7-week Summer Programs allow students to create their own course schedule from our summer course offerings.
Summer sessions also include field trips and the option for independent studies.
Custom Hybrid
Create unique programming with the Pantheon Institute! We invite faculty and administrators to collaborate with us on developing hybrid liberal arts and design programming that combines your vision with the our know-how.
FACILITIES
All Pantheon Institute facilities are located in the historic city center, providing proximity to the wonders of ancient Rome. Our classroom, studio, and housing facilities are all within 15 minutes walking distance of each other.
See our Studios and Classrooms and Housing page for more details.
FIeld trips
Travel through Italy to experience architectural history first hand. Our academic field trips include the entire Italian peninsula. You will see first hand how modernity and antiquity coexist to create an ever evolving urban landscape.
Tuition & Fees
The Pantheon Institute program fees are listed in Euro. The exchange at the time of invoicing will determine the cost in US Dollars (USD value subject to change without notice).
Fees Include: Tuition, Housing, Academic Field Trips, Arrival Airport Shuttle, Cultural Activities, Transcripts. (Course travel and museum fees included only for curricular concentration program participants.)
Fees Do Not Include: Airfare, Meals, Independent Travel, Textbooks, Art Supplies, Course Fees (e.g. travel, museums – except for curricular concentration program participants, Medical Insurance)
News & Events
Ava Norris and Personal Transformation Through Study Abroad
Studying abroad this Fall 2024 at the Pantheon Institute, Connecticut College Junior, Ava Norris, talks about how her time in Rome has impacted her academic perspective and helped transform her sense of self.
Arianna Davis and Experiential Learning in Rome
Arianna Davis, 4th-year architecture student from Penn State University, discusses study abroad, experiential learning, and transforming spaces through creative architectural design.
Premio Piranesi Prix de Rome
Here at Pantheon Institute, our Fall semester kicks off with the Premio Piranesi, a unique design competition that grants students direct access to the Villa Adriana, one of the largest and most important pieces of Italian patrimony.
health & safety
Emergency Procedures & 24/7 Support
Program and housing handbooks
Pre-departure preparation
The Pantheon Institute prioritizes student wellbeing abroad.
Our expertly trained staff will connect you with local resources when in need.
Go to the Health and Safety page for more details.