Pope Clement VIII gave his nephew Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini the villa in 1598[1] as a reward for the negotiations he undertook with France that resulted in the peace treaty of 1595 and for his role in annexing Ferrara to the Papal States.

Aldobrandini commissioned the Roman architect Giacomo della Porta to convert the villa into suitable accommodation in which a Cardinal could live and also entertain a Pope.

Inside the villa are paintings of Mannerist and Baroque artists like Taddeo Zuccari and his brother Federico, Cavalier D'Arpino and Domenichino.

To provide water for this feature and for the rest of the garden, Aldobrandini constructed a new 8 kilometres (5 mi) long aqueduct from the Modena spring on Monte Algido to the villa.

[4] The top of the garden in the villa has remained derelict and damaged since the American bombing during the Allied invasion in World War II, and the fountains of Teatro delle Acqua sustained damage as well from the bombing, with current owner Prince Camillo Aldobrandini's father carrying out repairs to the fountains shortly after.