Spanish Steps
Rome, Italy
Villa Medici, Rome
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Photo: Laterbat, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Paid; tours and tickets online
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 1 h 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Guided tour
- About 90 minutes, gardens and rooms
- Free
- Terrace and fountain out front, with a view
- Website
- villamedici.it — tickets and schedule
- Location
- Pincian Hill, 2 minutes from the top of the Spanish Steps
Key facts
1576Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici bought the villa
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English WikipediaAmmannatithe architect who completed its rebuilding
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English Wikipedia1803the French Academy in Rome moved in
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English WikipediaPrix de Romewinners lived here, including Berlioz, Bizet and Debussy
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English WikipediaZucchiJacopo Zucchi painted the cardinal's studiolo with birds
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English WikipediaA short history
Building began in the mid-16th century for Cardinal Ricci, and in 1576 the villa was bought by Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici, son of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Bartolomeo Ammannati remodelled it, and the cardinal assembled one of Rome's finest collections of ancient sculpture. When Ferdinando became Grand Duke and returned to Florence, many pieces — the famous lions and the Niobid group among them — eventually followed.
In 1803 Napoleon moved the French Academy in Rome here. Ever since, fellows — artists, composers, writers — have lived and worked at the villa. Prix de Rome winners Berlioz, Bizet and Debussy all stayed, and the painter Ingres served as director.
The façade and gardens
From the street the villa is plain and white, with two belvedere towers; from the garden it's another building entirely. The garden façade is studded with ancient reliefs, garlands and medallions set into the wall like an open-air museum, with statue copies in front and formal gardens of clipped hedges, umbrella pines and avenues beyond.
The grounds cover about seven hectares, with a bosco of small groves, an artificial mound called Parnassus with a view of the city, and a pavilion holding casts of the Niobid group. Spring and early summer are loveliest, when roses and wisteria bloom and St Peter's dome shows above the trees.
The cardinal's studiolo
The surprise inside is Cardinal Ferdinando's studiolo, a small study in a garden pavilion. Around 1577 Jacopo Zucchi painted its walls and vault as a pergola, with dozens of birds perched and flying among the leaves, so precisely drawn that birdwatchers can name the species. Tours usually also visit the state apartments restored in the 20th century by the painter Balthus, then the Academy's director.
What to see
- Garden façade — covered in ancient reliefs and medallions.
- The gardens — hedges, pines and avenues.
- The cardinal's studiolo — Jacopo Zucchi's painted birds.
- Parnassus mound — a view over Rome to St Peter's.
- Cardinal's apartments — the state rooms.
- Terrace and fountain out front — free, with a view of the domes.
How to get there
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Spanish Steps is about 4 min away on foot.
- Via del Corso is about 8 min away on foot.
- Pincio is about 8 min away on foot.
More tips
- Metro line A to Spagna, then climb the Spanish Steps and turn left for 2 minutes.
- From Spagna station a lift brings you up to Viale della Trinità dei Monti.
- From the Pincio terrace, 5 minutes along the avenue.
- From Villa Borghese, 15 minutes' walk across the Pincio.
Getting inside
The gardens and some rooms are seen on guided tours that run on a schedule in Italian, French and English, in small groups. Tickets are sold at villamedici.it and at the desk, but popular times sell out in season. The Academy also hosts contemporary art exhibitions, concerts and film screenings — check the website. The villa usually closes on Mondays, and there's a café with a terrace inside.
Is Villa Medici worth it?
Yes, if you've done the big museums and want somewhere calm and beautiful: these are among Rome's finest gardens, and few visitors expect the bird-filled studiolo. Short on time? The free terrace out front is right on the way from the Spanish Steps to the Pincio and Villa Borghese.
Before you go
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Rome's palaces: compare and choose
Palaces and villas in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Vittoriano | 61 | 1 h | Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18 | 26 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palatine Hill | 54 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum | 39 min walk |
| Piazza Venezia | 53 | 20 min | Free | 23 min walk |
| Quirinal Palace | 50 | 1 h 15 min | Square free; tours by booking | 17 min walk |
| Domus Aurea | 49 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26 | 37 min walk |
| Galleria Borghese | 45 | 2 h | ≈ €18 | 18 min walk |
| Capitoline Museums | 43 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ €15–19.50 | 29 min walk |
| Galleria Doria Pamphilj | 39 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €16–18 | 21 min walk |
| Palazzo Farnese | 39 | 1 h 15 min | Paid, booking only | 31 min walk |
| Villa Mediciyou are here | 38 | 1 h 30 min | Paid, scheduled tours | — |
| Palazzo Barberini | 37 | 2 h | ≈ €15 | 14 min walk |
| Villa Farnesina | 37 | 1 h | ≈ €12 | 36 min walk |
| Villa d'Este | 29 | 2 h | ≈ €15 | 26.6 km |
| Hadrian's Villa | 29 | 3 h | ≈ €12–15 | 24.5 km |
Spanish Steps to Villa Borghese
Up the Spanish Steps, Villa Medici, the Pincio terrace and on into the Villa Borghese park.
- Spanish Steps20 min · Free
- 4 min walk from the previous stopVilla Mediciyou are here1 h 30 min · Paid, scheduled tours
- 8 min walk from the previous stopPincio40 min · Free
- 9 min walk from the previous stopVilla Borghese1 h 30 min · Free
4 places · about 4 h 21 min with walks · 21 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Tickets at villamedici.it.
- Usually closed on Mondays.
- The front terrace is free.
- The Spanish Steps and Pincio are next door.
Questions
Where is Villa Medici?
On the Pincian Hill, two minutes from the top of the Spanish Steps.
How do I visit Villa Medici?
On a guided tour or with a ticket, sold at villamedici.it and at the desk.
What is Villa Medici today?
The French Academy in Rome, with resident fellows, exhibitions and concerts.
When is Villa Medici closed?
Usually on Mondays.
Who lived at Villa Medici?
Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici, and later Academy fellows such as Berlioz, Bizet and Debussy.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, Villa Medici
- Official website villamedici.it
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