Hearst Castle was originally known as "Camp Hill". The central coast wilderness offered a place for family members and friends to "rough it" on camping trips. Despite elaborate arrangements with separate sleeping and dining tents, Hearst envisioned more comfortable accommodations. His simple instructions to famed San Francisco architect Julia Morgan in 1919: "Miss Morgan, we are tired of camping out in the open at the ranch in San Simeon and I would like to build a little something".
Hearst and Morgan's collaboration was destined to become one of the world's greatest showplaces. As they were planning and constructing his dream home, Hearst renamed the rocky perch from which it rose "La Cuesta Encantada" - The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, Hearst and Morgan had created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways.
Art treasures can be found in every room of Hearst Castle. Antique ceilings, Greek vases dating from 800 B.C., rare oriental carpets, and myriad works of art can be seen throughout William Randolph Hearst's vast home. Art and architectural elements originating primarily in Spain and Italy complement the Mediterranean Revival architecture. Antique furniture, ceilings, mantels, doors, paintings, sculptures, bas-reliefs, textiles and tapestries, comprise much of what is seen at Hearst Castle.
Visit the official Hearst Castle web site.
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William Randolph Hearst was one of the many wealthy American collectors in the 19th and early 20th centuries who built and decorated sumptuous homes. In this era, great estates were decorated with European art and architectural elements. These wealthy collectors amassed art, which became, in many cases the basis for the great American art museums founded in the late 19th century.
The estate's magnificent main house, "Casa Grande," and three guest houses are of Mediterranean Revival style, while the imposing towers of Casa Grande were inspired by a Spanish cathedral. The blending of the architectural style with the surrounding land, and Hearst's superb European and Mediterranean art collection, was so seamless that world-renowned architectural historian, Lord John Julius Norwich, was moved to say that "Hearst Castle is a palace in every sense of the word."
Visit the official Hearst Castle web site. |
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William Randolph Hearst created the largest private zoo in the world on his ranch at San Simeon. Traveling the winding ranch road to Hearst Castle guests passed through fenced fields populated with many species of exotic wild animals freely roaming over the hillsides as though they were native to this land. It was an amazing sight. The ever-changing collection of animals was established in 1923 when American bison, Rocky Mountain elk, and European white fallow deer were acquired.
While the zoo is history, visitors may still enjoy the zebras wandering the hills surrounding Hearst Castle. |
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