Villa Medici’s Reimagined Rooms Welcome Overnight Guests with Design-Led Thrills
The recently debuted refurbishment adds to the overall dialogue between the property’s rich architectural heritage and its modern spirit
On the on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti sits Villa Medici: a 16th-century Mannerist villa and grounds that is the longtime home of the French Academy in Rome. Built for Cardinal Ricci da Montepulciano and later home to the Medici family, followed by Napoleon who purchased the property for use by the French Academy, the property features stunning original frescoes, sculpture-filled gardens, and fragrant orchards that bloom throughout the seasons.
A comprehensive overhaul of the reception rooms in 2022 was overseen by Kim Jones and Silvia Venturi Fendi followed by a reimagining of the historic rooms by India Mahdavi in 2023. On June 13, the villa debuted six refurbished guest rooms conceived by teams of architects, interior designers, and craftspeople that have been carefully selected by competition. Each of the highly individualized rooms is available for booking and adds to the overall dialogue between the villa’s rich architectural heritage and its modern spirit.
Through the support of patrons including the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, the Banque Poulaire Foundation, and Maison Tréca, the expansive guest rooms have come to life through the work of such noted architects as Sebastien Kieffer and Lea Padovani with Atelier Veneer, Studio Acte Deux with Tristan Dassonville, and Studio Constance Guisset with Signature Murale and Arcam Glass, who have brought the light-filled Stratus Surprisus suite to new life. With names like Camera Fantasia (micro-paper pulp is used to mimic the Villa Medici stone), Pars pro Toto (a work of stucco, gilding, faux bois, and trompe l’oeil is a treat for the eye), and Il Cielo in una stanza (a study in green, ivory travertine, and copper tesserae inspired by the streets of Rome) each ethereal space—many double-height with spiral staircases—offers a step back in time.
Equally magnificent are the surrounding grounds, including Ferdinando I de’ Medici’s original secret garden with its fragrant lemon trees reimagined by Belgian landscape architect Bas Smets and historical architect, Pierre-Antoine Gatier. The parterre garden in front of the villa’s ornate façade has received similar attention with the addition of varied lemon trees as well as ceramics by Natsuko Uchino that meld traditional Tuscan technique with contemporary form. Words by award-winning poet and Villa Medici fellow Laura Vazquez adorn the stone bases of each piece and add to the singular atmosphere—one that welcomes academics, tourists, art historians, and plant lovers alike.
