In ancient times, the gardens of the general Lucullus were located here, and he was known for a luxurious way of life, love of art, as well as exquisite feasts, known since that time as “Lucullan Feasts”. As Tacit wrote, it is here that the unfaithful Messalina hid, as we know unsuccessfully, from her revenge-seeking husband, Claudius. Since the year 52 A.D., the property belonged to subsequent emperors, while after their fall, it came into ruin, was overgrown with bushes and buried underground, upon which in time a vineyard was established. It was not used again until the end of the XV century, when the construction of the Church of Santa Trinità del Monti, began on the hill, and slightly later a suburban residence (villa suburbana). This original, still rather modest arrangements came to be, in the middle of the XVI century, but it was not until 1576, when this place became the property of Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici, that the Florentine architect Bartolomeo Ammanati, gave it its final mannerist form. The residence was the most beautiful of its type in the city, rivaling villa Farnesina, erected slightly earlier on the banks of the Tiber River.

The casino and the building neighboring it, were used by the cardinal to exhibit   his extensive collection of medallions, ancient masks, sculptures, and reliefs, which were in part excavated in this very location. Some of them were put up on the face of the garden façade of the casino.

Casino

Its raw, topped off with two towers façade, seen from viale della Trinità dei Monti, is reminiscent of a castle fortress. The portal with its bronze gate is equally raw. However, the garden elevation is completely different, opening up onto the park arrangements. Initially guests visiting the cardinal, walked through the garden and it was from this direction that they entered the building. The main element of the elevation is an open loggia in the shape of a triumphant arch (porta serliana), which is adorned with two lions (presently copies). The walls are decorated with reliefs, garlands, bases of ancient statues, masks, medallions, and niches, which in the past housed sculptures. The most valuable of these items are two garlands which adorned the Altar of Peace in times of Emperor Octavius Augustus. The façade is flanked by two, joined with each other towers, which serve as balconies. The elevation itself, apart from the missing sculptures in the niches, looks nearly as it did during the times of its creator in the XVI century. From the loggia of the building stretches a wonderful view of the terrace. In the foreground is a fountain with a statue of Mercury (the so-called Mercury in Flight), which is a copy of the original created by Giambologna, which is found in the Florentine Museo Bargello. Unfortunately, the cardinal who represented the interests of Florence in Rome, and who was even mentioned as a candidate for St. Peter’s throne, had to, after the death of his brother – the Duke of Florence – leave the ministry. When cardinal Ferdinando took over the title of duke and left for Florence, the building on Pincio Hill was still unfinished. However, its most valuable collections left with the owner. For some time still the villa was used by the de Medici family. For sixteen years Alessandro Ottaviano de Medici resided within, sharing his relative’s passion for collecting, however his stay here ended with the conclave of 1605, when he was elected as pope (Leo XI).   When, after just 27 short days, his reign was ended with an untimely death, the function of the villa changed. Starting in the XVII century, it served as a kind of a residence for the ambassadors of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany at the papal court, it hosted members of the family or crowned heads of state, during their stay in the Eternal City. For a short time Galileo was imprisoned within its walls, before he was sentenced to house arrest and exiled to Arcetri near Florence. It is here, that Diego Velázquez stayed during his Roman voyages, and perhaps it was here that he created his famous Portrait of Innocent X, along with small, impressionist paintings showing the villa and the garden, which the painter took with him to Spain (currently in the Prado Museum). A story, which must be deemed a legend and which definitely stimulates the imagination, is one that reportedly happened on one January morning in 1656, when a cannonball fired from the Castle of the Holy Angel hit the bronze doors of the casino.   This deed was attributed to, the Queen of Sweden Christina, who at that time lived in the city and was known for her extravagant behavior while also being adept at the art of artillery. The reason for such behavior, remains unknown – reportedly romantic perturbations. The cannonball in question is currently in the center of the fountain basin located near the residence (Fontana della Palla di Canone).

In the thirties of the XVIII century the male line of the de Medici family came to an end. At that time more of the ancient collections were removed, and relocated in Florentine palaces, while the property on Pincio Hill was taken over by the Hapsburg-Lothringen line. When in turn, Napoleon Bonaparte entered Rome, he cast a covetous eye on the villa in ruin, which was ultimately taken over by the French in 1803, transferring the French Academy here, which itself was opened in 1666, and until its relocation, was situated in Palazzo Mancini on via del Corso. From that moment on, fellows of this facility – including the most renowned painters, writers and musicians – lived in this place for 2 to 5 years. In the beginning these had to be bachelors who were French and Roman Catholic. They were needed to imitate and copy everything they had seen in Rome, and later – to simply create. Representatives of the de Medici Villa in the XVIII century were such famous artists as Boucher, Fragonard, David Ingres, while in subsequent centuries, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, as well as musicians: Bizet, Ravel, Debussy or Berlioz. In 1775 Marquis de Sade stayed here, describing the villa garden in his typical fashion, paying special attention to the opportunities it provides for passionate lovers. It must be added, that at that time the garden was accessible to the public and was covered with lush greenery, among which here and there the copies of ancient sculptures stuck out from the ground.

Starting in the 1970s the villa rooms gradually underwent renovation while its garden was formed anew, returning to its appearance from the time of cardinal de Medici. The man who made the greatest contributions in this field, was the painter Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, known as Balthus, who in the years 1961-1977 brought about the renewal of the interiors, including the outstanding frescoes of Jacopo Zucchi, and furnished them as well, bringing back to life, at least partially, the atmosphere of this place from four centuries ago.

The casino, from which works of art were first removed by the de Medicis and later by the French, today provides its guests, most of all with original paintings of the ceilings. The cardinal had them decorated with frescoes, of which the motto was the depiction of his virtues as a patron of the Muses, who were accompanied by the romantic adventures of Jupiter. One of the rooms (Sala delle Muse) is decorated in such a way. The Muses influencing the movement of the planets, and therefore human fate, adorn the ceiling coffers. On the central plafond we will see Jupiter and the Sun. And it can be assumed, that the cardinal born under the sign of the Leo, was favored by the heavens. Another interesting room with ceiling paintings is the Room of the Elements (Sala degli Elementi), once again referring to cosmic powers. The interior is decorated with furniture selected by Balthus, which is from the XVIII century.

Garden and its attractions

Villa Medici offers visitors still more. In order to see it, we must leave the building and immerse ourselves in the labyrinth-like park, which stretches out in the area of 7 hectares. It is filled with sculptures, hermai, ponds, nymphaea, and fountains. This park and garden arrangements were also recreated in the times of Balthus, referring to the original, although the plants are more contemporary (stone pines, pines and myrtle bushes). And thus, directly opposite the casino loggia we will see a fountain (Fontana a Calice), with an Egyptian obelisk (Obelisco Mediceo) on top, or more appropriately its copy, since the original one, from the times of Ramses II, was taken to Florence at the end of the XVIII century and is currently located in its Bobola Gardens.

The garden’s main avenue led to the Parnassus – an artificial hill created on the ruins of the Temple of Fortuna which had existed here in ancient times. One cannot overlook a monumental statue from the times of imperial Rome – this is Dea Roma – a goddess and protector of the city, excavated near Palazzo Quirinale. She was a gift from Pope Gregory XIII to the de Medici family. However, the gardens’ greatest attraction, is a two-room Bird Pavilion, built into the structure walls. Its name comes from over one hundered different species of flying creatures, including those which were completely unknown in the XVI century, and which had only just appeared in Europe (turkey, bird of paradise), or were only known from ornithological drawings, and were painted here on 50 square meters of the first room, referring to ancient decorations and imitating an aviary. The second is a small studiolo, of which the walls and ceilings are covered with an exceptionally preserved grotesque decorations with allegories of the seasons and episodes from the fables of Aesop, as well as a ceiling depicting Aurora. It is here that cardinal Ferdinando rested during his visits in the casino which was still under construction and here he entertained guests and mistresses. The vedute decorating the interior are worthy of special attention. The entire decoration was created in 1576, by the Florentine-born Jacopo Zucchi – a painter and the cardinal’s principal fresco artist. One of the vedute even shows the outline of the villa itself from the time of Ferdinando.

Walking among rows of myrtle, we will also notice a group of sculptures depicting the suffering of Niobe and her children, killed by Apollo and Diana. In the past purchased by the cardinal it was part of the de Medici collection. Taken to Florence, today it is in the Musei Uffizi. The idea of creating plaster cast replicas of the Hellenic sculptures also came from Balthus.

The final place accessible for tourists is a plaster cast gallery in which plaster cast statues and reliefs are kept, left behind by the artists invited by the French Academy, who worked here during their scholarships. They still come here to this very day, living in one of the many small houses scattered throughout the park. The artists and scientists selected by an international body, no longer have to be bachelors, Roman Catholics and French, but they do have to speak French.