Born in Cambrai, Francavilla moved to Florence to complete his artistic training, where he became a key collaborator in the studio of the renowned sculptor Giambologna. His early career was defined by his mastery of the Mannerist style, which emphasized elongated forms and complex, spiraling compositions.

His body of work includes numerous marble figures and fountains commissioned by the Medici family and other elite patrons in Florence. Later in his career, he moved to Paris to serve as the court sculptor for King Henry IV, where he contributed to the development of monumental sculpture in France.

Francavilla is recognized for his technical proficiency in marble carving and his role in bridging the artistic traditions of the Franco-Flemish region and the Italian Renaissance. His legacy remains tied to the refinement of the Late Mannerist aesthetic and his influence on European courtly sculpture.