University of Virginia in Charlottesville - Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
Charlottesville, United States
27.10.2011
The University of Virginia in Charlottesville - A world heritage site of historical significance
The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, located in the state of Virginia in the United States, is a prestigious university and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, it is known as one of the most beautiful and well-preserved examples of Jeffersonian architecture in the country.
The university was the brainchild of Thomas Jefferson, who envisioned an institution of higher learning that would educate the future leaders of the newly independent United States. He designed the campus himself, drawing inspiration from the classical architecture of ancient Rome and Greece. Jefferson's vision for the university was to create an "academical village" where students and professors would live and learn together in a harmonious community.
Today, the University of Virginia's campus is still dominated by Jefferson's iconic Rotunda, a domed structure that serves as the central hub of the university. It is flanked by ten pavilions, each representing a different academic discipline, and connected by a series of colonnaded walkways known as the Lawn. The Rotunda and the Lawn are considered to be the heart of the university and are recognized as one of the most beautiful and influential architectural complexes in the world.
Aside from its architectural significance, the University of Virginia also has a rich history. It was the first university in the United States to offer elective courses, the first to establish a school of architecture, and the first to establish a school of education. It has produced many notable alumni, including eight US governors, two US Supreme Court justices, and 25 Rhodes Scholars.
Today, the University of Virginia continues to be one of the top universities in the country, with a strong focus on liberal arts education and research. Its beautiful campus and rich history make it a must-visit for anyone interested in architecture, history, or higher education.
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Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), author of the American Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, was also a talented architect of neoclassical buildings. He designed Monticello (1769–1809), his plantation home, and his ideal 'academical village' (1817–26), which is still the heart of the University of Virginia. Jefferson's use of an architectural vocabulary based upon classical antiquity symbolizes both the aspirations of the new American republic as the inheritor of European tradition and the cultural experimentation that could be expected as the country matured.
Monticello ( MON-tih-CHEL-oh) was the primary plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at the age of 14. Located just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, in the Piedmont region, the plantation was originally 5,000 acres (20 km2), with Jefferson using the forced labor of black slaves for extensive cultivation of tobacco and mixed crops, later shifting from tobacco cultivation to wheat in response to changing markets. Due to its architectural and historic significance, the property has been designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1987, Monticello and the nearby University of Virginia, also designed by Jefferson, were together designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The United States nickel has featured a depiction of Monticello on its reverse since 1938 (except for 2004-05).
Jefferson designed the main house using neoclassical design principles pioneered by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and reworking the design through much of his presidency to include design elements popular in late 18th-century Europe and integrating numerous ideas of his own. Situated on the summit of an 850 ft-high (260 m) peak in the Southwest Mountains south of the Rivanna Gap, the name Monticello derives from Italian meaning "little mountain". Along a prominent lane adjacent to the house, Mulberry Row, the plantation came to include numerous outbuildings for specialized functions, e.g., a nailery; quarters for slaves who worked in the home; gardens for flowers, produce, and Jefferson's experiments in plant breeding—along with tobacco fields and mixed crops. Cabins for slaves who worked in the fields were farther from the mansion.
At Jefferson's direction, he was buried on the grounds, in an area now designated as the Monticello Cemetery. The cemetery is owned by the Monticello Association, a society of his descendants through Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson. After Jefferson's death, his daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph, apart from the small family graveyard, sold Monticello for $7,500. In 1834, it was bought by Uriah P. Levy, a commodore in the U.S. Navy, for $2,500, (~$81,513 in 2023) who admired Jefferson and spent his own money to preserve the property. His nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy took over the property in 1879; he also invested considerable money to restore and preserve it. In 1923, Monroe Levy sold it for $500,000 (~$6.96 million in 2023) to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (TJF), which operates it as a house museum and educational institution.
