An announcement from Rome, dating from April 25th, 1587, states "Medici is having that great ancient basin of granite marble brought to his garden at Trinity for the purpose of building a fountain. He bought it from the brothers at S. Salvatore del Lauro for 200 scudi so you could say he had it as a gift, considering how much it is worth." Here is a truthful account of the desire for a fountain to be added to the garden at Trinity.
The Medici being referred to was Cardinal Ferdinando, who supervised all of the water works projects that were designed to bring the Aqua Felice to Rome. The Medici had bout the villa from Cardinal Ricci di Montepulciano, who had it designed by Annibale Lippi, a student of Michelangelo. Cardinal Ricci was responsible for water works that brought the Aqua Vergine to Rome earlier.
This villa was complete about 1572, and it was full of fountains, ponds, statues, all of which were fed through the Aqua Vergine, whose cisterns, sitting at the foot of the hill, pumped water up to villa through the inventions of Camillo Agrippa.
Cardinal Ricci died in 1574, and Cardinel de’Medici bought the estate. He embellished the villa further by adding more statues from antiquity. When he chose to inherit his property in Tuscany, he had all of items in his garden shipped to Florence.
