Jean du Bellay et les Horti Bellaiani. Bâtir à l'antique, sur l'antique et pour l'antique

Built on the former southern perimeter of the Bath of Diocletian – because of the location, but also because of their layout – the Horti Bellaiani are an example of the relationship between antiquarian scholarship and the artistic creation in the sixteenth century. The commissioner of these gardens, Cardinal Jean du Bellay, was a connoisseur of antiquity: he frequented Roman humanist circles, participated in excavation campaigns, collected classical sculptures, and wanted to be part of the group of prelates and humanists whose villas were built on sites identified with famous ancient monuments. The structure of the Horti Bellaiani was dictated by that of the underlying ruins, but was probably also inspired by an ancient model of excellence, located on the Collis Hortolorum: the Horti Luculliani, known from literary sources and partially rediscovered during the construction of the Trinità dei Monti, were identified by Pomponio Leto and Andrea Fulvio, while Pirro Ligorio included a reconstruction of them in his plans of Rome.