The consul general of Italy in Philadelphia , Nico Frandi, visited the Athenaeum and was received by director Beth Shalom Hessel. Built in 1814 in the style of Florentine Renaissance palaces this historic building is now an active intellectual club.
In 2026 the Athenaeum will host a series of lectures on the Italian contribution to the American Civil Revolution and the influence of the Italian Enlightenment toward the American constitution-making process.