Villa Medici

villa, Rome, Italy

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Villa Medici, (c. 1540), important example of Mannerist architecture designed by Annibale Lippi and built in Rome for Cardinal Ricci da Montepulciano. It was later purchased by Ferdinando de’ Medici and was occupied for a time by Cardinal Alessandro de’ Medici (later Pope Leo XI). In 1801 Napoleon bought the building, and in 1803 the Villa Medici became the headquarters of the French Academy in Rome. It also houses the recipients of the Prix de Rome.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.