In the plan of the Villa Medici, at the top right (no. 6) there is an artificial hill that Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici had built up on top of a grotto or nymphaeum that was a relic of the ancient garden. This hill had a fountain decorated with a statue of Pegasus at the top and was meant to invoke Mount Parnassus, the home of the Muses. Visitors could climb to the summit via a spiral path and there find magnificent views over the entire city and also, perhaps, poetic inspiration. Today the villa houses the French Academy.
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