Perched on top of Pincio Hill, with views over Rome's domes, is this magnificent Renaissance villa owned by the French Academy. Guided tours (1½hr) in multiple languages take in the sculpture-filled gardens and orchard, a garden studio exquisitely frescoed by Jacopo Zucchi in 1577 and the cardinal's private apartments. Note the pieces of ancient Roman sculpture from the Ara Pacis embedded in the villa's walls. Regular temporary exhibitions are also staged here, entry to which is included with your tour ticket.
The villa that stands today was built for Cardinal Ricci da Montepulciano in 1540. Ferdinando de' Medici snapped it up in 1576 and it remained in Medici hands until 1801, when Napoleon Bonaparte acquired it for the French Academy. These days its outbuildings house artists' studios offered to French-speaking artists and scholars for residencies – needless to say, these are highly sought-after. You can also stay in an historic room-with-a-view in the villa, or a garden room designed by an artist: book two months ahead by email.
