Villa Medici
Villa Medici is named after the great Italian family. Today there is an Academy of Arts here, which is freely visited by tourists from all over the world. Everyone who has been here says that this place has a special atmosphere. People come here in search of history and in the hope of finding inspiration.
History of the Villa Medici
The Medici family began to own the villa in 1576. It was managed by a famous family member, Ferdinando Medici. By nature he was a great lover of art, and he also held the title of cardinal. For this reason, he decided to purchase a plot of land on Pincho Hill and build a mansion on it, which would house his entire priceless collection. The Medici commissioned the building to be built in his favorite mannerist style. In 1587, the cardinal received the status of Grand Duke of Tuscany. After this, ambassadors of the Principality of Tuscany often lived in Villa Medici, and it enjoyed enormous popularity throughout Italy.
After the end of the Medici dynasty, the villa passed from hand to hand, gradually changing its appearance. In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to transfer the villa to the French Academy in Rome. It was actively used by Italian separatists, including Ingres, Mussini and Mussolini.
Exterior of the villa
The appearance of the Villa Medici amazes and fascinates every tourist. The mansion is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of divine life; statues and busts are located in special recesses. The main entrance of the building is decorated with marble lions that stand with their paws on cannonballs - a kind of personification of the coat of arms of the first owner of the villa, Ferdinando Medici. The face in front of the building features the Mercury Fountain. Inside the building, the visitor is greeted by paintings and ancient frescoes, as well as unique paintings on the walls and ceiling.
An important part of the Villa Medici is the gardens of the Villa Medici. They were largely able to preserve the appearance of the 16th century; the total area of the gardens is 7 hectares. Many rare plant species were grown especially for the garden. The garden is decorated with statues depicting the goddess Niobe and her children.
Nowadays, the mansion is a real museum of works of art. It contains old documents of the Medici family, Fernando's collection, as well as the academy's collection. The visitor can see various items used by the Medici family - furniture, paintings, tools and other things. A unique archive has also been preserved, which contains more than 200 thousand original documents and books dedicated to music, architecture, and cinema.
Villa Medici is very popular among tourists from all over the world; to get on the excursion you need to reserve a place in advance, since there are a lot of people who want to visit it. The mansion will impress any tourist visiting Rome.
