THE VILLA MEDICI 
ROME 
PLATES 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95 
.NDING boldly upon the Pincian Hill, the Villa Medici looks out over 
Rome, with the massive dome of St. Peter’s outlined against the greys and 
purples of the distant Campagna. The site of the villa is one histori¬ 
cally devoted to pleasure gardens. It was originally known as the ‘Collis 
Hortulorum,’ and is the most beautiful position in Rome, and was well 
chosen by Lucullus for the magnificent pleasure-house he erected here, 
where, in its famous halls, he once entertained Cicero and Pompey, it is 
said, at a cost of fifty thousand drachmas. 
Before the present villa was erected the ground upon which it now stands was partly the 
property of Cardinal Ricci, of Montepulciano, and partly that of Catherine de’ Medici. In the year 
1540 the villa was commenced for Cardinal Ricci by Annibale Lippi; shortly afterwards it 
was purchased by the Medici family, and greatly enlarged by Cardinal Ferdinand de’ 
Medici, who adorned it with magnificent antique bas-reliefs and sculptures, and gave 
it the name of the Villa Medici. In 1630 Velasquez lived here, and has left two small 
pictures of the villa; the first represents immense cypresses dominating a terrace; the second a 
portico and view of the villa. In 1633-34 Galileo found an asylum here during the anxious 
period when he had to give an account of his system before the Inquisition. Marie de’ Medici 
also passed a part of her youth at the villa, and in 1770 the villa was occupied by the Emperor 
Joseph II. and his brother the Grand Duke Leopold of Lorraine. In 1801 it passed to the Grand 
Duke of Parma, and two years later was fortunately sold to the French Academy, who renovated 
the villa, devoting it to the service of French art. Since this period it has been the lodging of 
many great French artists who, having been fortunate enough to achieve the ‘Prix de Rome,’ 
have here been impregnated with the finest traditions of the antique. 
The statuary that once adorned the villa was exceedingly valuable, and formerly included 
the Venus de’ Medici, removed to Florence in 1665, and also the bronze Mercury of Gian Bologna. 
The gardens seem to be little changed since Evelyn came to Rome and visited ‘ The House of the 
Duke of Florence upon the brow of Mons Pincius,’ with its ‘facciata incrusted with antique and 
rare basso-relievos and statues.’ Describing the garden, he says : ‘ Descending into the garden 
is a noble fountain governed by a Mercury of brass. At a little distance on the left is a lodge 
( 109) G G 
