Pirro Ligorio (1510-1583), an Italian architect and antiquarian who designed the Casion of Pius IV and large portions of the gardens of the Villa d'Este, has long been a nororiously elusive subject because of his dauntung erudition and because his notebooks and drwaings are in collections scattered throughout the world. This book mobilizes all available published and unpublished material to offer a comprehensive account of Ligorio's life and multifaceted career. Coffin traces the unfolding of Ligorio's life from his early years in Naples to his work in Rome, where he served several popes and pored over ancient ruins, through his residency in Ferrara as court antiquarian. In addition to illuminating Ligorio's relationship to his patrons, Coffin sheds light on Ligorio's famed map of ancient Rome, a masterpiece that bears witness to Ligorio's cartographic skills and his lifelong fascination with the eternal city.