Romeyne Robert

Romeyne was born on October 16th, 1878 in Morristown, New Jersey.

Born into a wealthy family, Romeyne had the opportunity to travel with her parents to Europe many times.  In 1902, during one of these European tours, Romeyne met Ruggero Ranieri di Sorbello in Rome, and married him later that year.  Wanting to be a part of her new community in Perugia, Italy, in 1904 Romeyne started an embroidery training school at nearby Pischiello. Her goal was to teach young peasant women to emancipate themselves socially and economically by learning the trade of embroidery.  She originally got this idea from the Arts and Crafts Movement in America which aimed to help immigrant women as well as recover artisan skills that were slowly dying away. At this school, Romeyne rediscovered the embroidery technique originally called the “punto umbro” which was later called the “punto Sorbello”. After founding the school, she started a collective called “Arti Decorative Umbre” to allow the women who studied at the school to sell their newly made creations.  Some of these pieces are now shown in museums in Italy as well as the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City.  The school and collective eventually closed in 1934 due to the Great Depression in the United States, and new taxes imposed by Italy’s Fascist government.  Romeyne also dedicated her life to expanding on the Ranieri di Sorbello library by adding classical and modern Anglo-American books, and literary and art magazines to the collection, which still remains today.  Romeyne dedicated her life to bridging the cultures between her home and her adopted country. Her roots in America, as well as her involvement in her new community of Perugia, Italy, did much to shape the life and works of her son Uguccione V.

EXTENDED BIO

Watch

Romeyne’s Life Video

Romeyne’s Collections

The Anglo-American Book Collection