When the Medici purchased the Pitti Palace in 1550, the Boboli Gardens were called, "The Pitti Garden", named after the Pitti Palace behind which it lies. The name "Boboli" comes from the Boboli hill, which itself most likely got its name from a corruption of the name "Borgoli" or "Borgolini", a family which owned homes and land in the area. The Gardens have been changed and rearranged many times since then. Naturally, the portions closest to the Palace were the first to be developed. Niccoló Pericoli, also known as "Tribolo", was the first designer of the gardens. His design became the basis for all the royal gardens of Europe, including Versailles.