Nephews of Cardinal Giovanni Ricci acquired the property in 1564, and Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici bought it in 1576. Nanni Lippi began improvements and died early. His son Annibale Lippi continued, and Bartolomeo Ammannati finished the structure to his own designs for Ferdinando. The infobox gives completion in 1544, which predates the text. The article calls it a Mannerist villa and says Michelangelo's involvement is undocumented lore. Ammannati set Roman reliefs and statues into the facades.
The gardens cover about 17 acres (7 hectares) on the Pincian Hill, beside the Borghese Gardens. Frescoes by Jacopo Zucchi in the studiolo, painted in 1576 and 1577, were uncovered from whitewash in 1985.
Napoleon moved the French Academy in Rome to the villa in 1803. Balthus led a restoration from 1961 to 1967. Guest rooms are open to the public when not in use.
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