ICONIC HOMES
One of the most magnificent mansions in all of California, Hearst Castle has a rich history that captivates audiences just as much as its striking architecture.
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Perched on a hill halfway between San Francisco and L.A. along the Central Coast of California, Hearst Castle was built as a private home for publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst.
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Hearst, one of the wealthiest people alive at the time, is said to have been the inspiration for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane movie — whose protagonist lived in “the world’s largest private estate,” called Xanadu.
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While Welles’ portrayal of Hearst was less than favorable, Xanadu — a name inspired by the ancient city of Xanadu — captured the grandeur of the magnate’s palatial estate.
Now, one century after W.R. Hearst started building his opulent home, Hearst Castle is a Historic Landmark welcoming visitors who want to revel in its illustrious past.
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Construction of Hearst Castle took nearly thirty years, from 1919 until 1947. Julia Morgan was the architect behind the project.
Morgan was the first woman to study architecture at the School of Beaux-Arts in Paris and the first to have her own architectural practice in California.
The end result was spectacular: when it was finally completed, the Hearst estate had a total of 42 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, and 19 sitting rooms.
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The sprawling grounds of the castle spanned 127 acres, encompassing gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, its own private theater (a rarity back in the day), and an airfield.
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The pools alone are so magnificent they’d warrant a visit to the castle just to revel in their beauty.
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Hearst Castle was originally built as a family home for Hearst, his wife, vaudeville performer Millicent Willson, and their five sons.
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But after years of Hearst’s longtime affair with actress Marion Davies, the couple separated - and Davies moved into the castle.
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The couple hosted A-list parties with some of Hollywood’s elite stars, including Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Greta Garbo, and Clark Gable.
Hearst died in 1951 at the age of 88. After Hearst’s death, his longtime lover, Marion Davies (who was excluded from his funeral) was forced to move out.
Soon after, in 1958, the Hearst Corporation donated Hearst Castle — including the gardens and most of its contents — to the state of California.
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The castle is now a museum open to the public as a California State Park and registered as a National Historic Landmark. And it’s quite a spectacular spot to visit.
Photo credit: Abbie Warnock-Matthews / Shutterstock.
To learn more about this spectacular estate (and its storied past) check out our article. --> SWIPE UP <--
Photo credit: Dani Lavi 0007, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons