Engraver, painter, designer, teacher, collector, and antiques dealer Francesco Villamena was born in 1565 or 1566 in Assisi, Italy. He studied under Cornelis Cort before moving to Rome between 1585 and 1590. There, he studied under Agostino Carracci and his earliest recorded engravings are dated 1591. He soon found work as a plate retoucher, and by 1595 he was given a ten-year papal patronage to cover his print output. He was known for his engravings of ancient reliefs, murals, and other antiquities, and he engraved plates for other artists, including Thomassin, Stefanoni, Clodio, and others. He also designed and published his own plates. It appears that he contined to work in engraving until his death in 1624. 

In addition to his engraving career, he was a noted art and antiquities collector and dealer.