Villa Medici in Rome (Villa Medici) was named after the name of a famous Italian family. She was one of the first possessions of the Medici dynasty in the Eternal City. The place has a rich history. Today, the French Academy of Arts is located here. The villa is open for tourists.
Story
The first gardens of Rome
On the hill of Pincho, where Villa Medici is located, the first ever Roman gardens were created. He ordered them to be arranged in the 1st century BC. Lucius Lucullus, commander and consul, who is also called the founder of Italian gardening. Fountains were built in the gardens of Lucullus, local plants and plants brought from other countries were planted. The alleys were decorated with statues and vases. In the shade of the trees was a spacious house.
Execution of Messalina
The wife of Emperor Claudius Messalina wanted to get these beautiful gardens. Due to her wiles, the owner of the territory, Decim Asian, who succeeded Lucullus, committed suicide. But for Messalina, these gardens became the last refuge. Here she was executed for the betrayal of her husband and emperor.
Villa construction
The magnificent gardens after the decline and fall of the Roman Empire were abandoned and destroyed. The place where they were located was occupied by vineyards. Only in the 16th century did Cardinal Giovanni Ricci buy this land. He hired an architect and built a picturesque mansion here.
Since 1576, the representative of the Medici family, Ferdinando, becomes the owner of the Ricci mansion. This man held the title of cardinal and was a passionate collector, lover of antiquity. He acquired land and a house on Pincho Hill to create a villa there and host his collection.
The architect Bartolomeo Ammannati rebuilt the main part of the building, under his leadership the right wing and gallery were added. Around the renovated mansion a garden was set up with shady avenues from myrtle and boxwood. In the open air in the garden are antique statues from the Ferdinando collection.
Since 1587, the villa begins to collapse. Ferdinando Medici was forced to leave Rome, as he became the ruler of Tuscany after the death of his older brother. In the first half of the 18th century, an attempt was made to restore the villa. Funds for it were received from the sale of antiquities (bas-reliefs and parts of columns) from the interior design of the house.
Change of status
The Medici dynasty ceased to exist in 1737, when he died without leaving any heirs, Gian Gastone Medici. After this, the Roman residence of this family became the property of the Lorraine dynasty. Antique works of art from the villa were later transported to Florence, so Leopold II ordered. And the villa now has copies of lost statues.
In 1803, this place was filled with creative people - painters and sculptors. By decision of the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Academy in Rome was located here. For the convenience of the new owners, the villa was redeveloped. The windows were expanded so that enough light came into the workshops.
Appearance
Palace
The magnificent building of the Medici Villa is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting mythological characters and scenes of ancient life.
In niches are busts and statues.
On the sides of the main entrance are marble sculptures of lions that put their front paws on the cannonballs. This is a reminder of the coat of arms of the former owner of the villa - Ferdinando Medici. Opposite the entrance, a fountain was built, the bowl of which is decorated with the figure of a running youth - Mercury. The house is symmetrically crowned by two towers. The turret terraces have wonderful views.
Passing through the arch of the main entrance, visitors find themselves in the lobby. The walls here are painted with paintings depicting the seasons and illustrations for Aesop's fables. Inside the building are many frescoes. Most of them belong to the brush of Jacopo Zucca.
In the process of restoration, already in our time, the ceiling of the lobby was cleaned of plaster and the views opened painting depicting a pergola (trellised canopy), green trees and birds.
Gardens
The gardens of Villa Medici have largely preserved the appearance of the 16th century. They occupy an area of more than 7 hectares. The formation of the garden took many years. Especially for him rare plants were grown. Currently, lawns and many flower beds are again broken where they were supposed to be according to the original plans.
There are many fountains and pools in the garden. They appeared thanks to the irrigation system created by engineer Camillo Agrippa.
In the garden you can see statues depicting Niobe with her children. The story of the daughter of Tantalum in ancient times was one of the favorite topics of art. At the edge of the park is a sculpture of the goddess Roma. It was discovered in Monte Cavallo during archaeological excavations. There are 170 statues in total.
Since the early 1990s, the villa has been undergoing restoration work. The building and the garden are restored to their historical appearance.
How to get there
A visit to Villa Medici needs to be planned in advance. Guided tours are by appointment. It is interesting that several rooms in the villa are rented out for the night, although reservation is required for at least 4 months.
Getting here is easy. The villa is located near Plaza de Espana, near Villa Borghese, its address is Viale Trinità dei Monti, 1.
You can get here by metro or bus. The bus stop and station are called the same: Spagna.
- Working hours: from 10:00 to 19:00, closed Monday.
- Ticket price: 12 euros, children under 10 years old free of charge, Roma Pass holders, students and visitors over 60 years old - 6 euros.
- Official site: www.villamedici.it
