Villa Medici: visiting the gardens and the French Academy in Rome

Updated on October 5, 2026

Villa Medici crowns the Pincio hill above the Spanish Steps, a few steps from the church of Trinità dei Monti. Built from 1564 for Cardinal Ricci da Montepulciano and bought in 1576 by Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici, it has housed the French Academy in Rome since 1803, established by Napoleon: artists, writers and researchers, the residents, stay here to work, as the Prix de Rome winners did before them. It is visited on guided tours of about 1.5 hours that take in the gardens, the cardinal's studiolo and the garden façade. For the French it is one of the most sought-after visits in Rome; for other visitors it offers an Italian garden and a view over the city that few people know.

Highlights

The garden façade

On the park side, the palace shows a Renaissance façade covered with reliefs and antique fragments set into the walls, which Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici had placed there for his sculpture collection. It is best seen from the central alley, between two corner towers.

The gardens

About seven hectares of boxwood parterres, umbrella pines, holm-oak alleys and groves, planted from the 16th century. From the bastion you can see the dome of St Peter's and the rooftops of Rome, especially at sunset.

The cardinal's studiolo

A small study covered with frescoes of landscapes and mythological scenes attributed to Jacopo Zucchi, which housed Cardinal Ferdinando's collection of curiosities. It is among the spaces opened during guided tours.

Life at the Academy

Temporary exhibitions and the cultural programme remind you that the villa is first a place of creation: the French Academy welcomes artists, writers, musicians and researchers each year and organises exhibitions open to the public.

Hours and prices

Open daily 9:30am–7pm except Tuesday; ticket office and bookshop close at 6:30pm. Full price €18, reduced €15, free for under-18s, according to the official website in October 2026. Guided tours of about 1.5 hours in French, English, Italian and Spanish, at several times a day; advance booking required.

Practical info

Tips

Book the guided tour online before you come: French-language slots go quickly in high season. The exhibition and tour programme changes: check the official website of the French Academy in Rome. If you do not want to visit, Viale della Trinità dei Monti, which runs alongside the villa, already offers a fine view. The gardens are flat but gravelled; wear comfortable shoes.

How to get there

Viale della Trinità dei Monti 1, 00187 Rome, at the top of the Spanish Steps, to the right of the church. Metro line A, Spagna station, then climb the steps (about 5 minutes); Barberini station is 10 minutes away. You can also walk to the villa through the Pincio and Villa Borghese.