He is mainly known for small bronzes, often practical objects such as inkwells, door knockers or fire-dogs, exquisitely sculpted and decorated in a classicizing Renaissance style.
He was born at Padua, and first trained as a goldsmith by his father, Ambrogio di Cristoforo Briosco.
[citation needed] As an architect, he is known for the church of Santa Giustina in his native city.
His bronze and marble tomb of the physician Girolamo della Torre in the church of San Fermo at Verona was beautifully decorated with reliefs, which were taken away by the French and are now in the Louvre.
[citation needed] A bronze lamp made by Riccio was a longtime possession of the Rothschild family, and is now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.