The Hearst Castle
It’s called a castle but it’s not really a castle, it’s a group of buildings in which the main building is a replica of a Catholic church that Mr Randolph Hearst once saw in Spain, he liked it so much that he made this replica, surrounding this church replica, the main house (Church replica) is called Casa Grande (translation from Spanish means big house)it is 68500 square feet and has 38 bedrooms, the next house is called Casa del Monte (House of the Hill) 2550 sq feet with 4 bedrooms next is the Casa Del Mar (House of the Sea) 5350 sq feet 8 bedrooms and the last house is Casa Del Sol (House of The Sun) 3620 sq feet 8bedrooms.
The group of houses are on the top of a hill that he used to call “La Cuesta Encantada” translated means “The Enchanted Uphill” it is obvious that mr Hearst was very impressed with Spain because everything in this place has a Spanish name.
Mr Hearst was born into a millionaire family, his father was a very successful miner and senator and it was his trips that he took with his mother Phoebe Apperson Hearst to Europe and specifically Spain that sparked his life for art.
This museum is actually one of a kind, very much worth visiting, to go there is to dive into the mind of a very extraordinary person, he was a perfectionist, and like all perfectionists everything had to be exactly as he wanted it, the whole place is an artistic work designed by Mr Hearst and executed by miss Julia Morgan, the architect of Hearst Castle.
Mr Hearst was so detailed that he also decided what type of trees should be used and also what type of flowers to put on the gardens.
All the houses are filled with art pieces that he acquired thru out the years.
To visit the castle is also to take a glimpse of how very wealthy people live, it’s actually like they live in a very different world than the rest of humanity.
after visiting the castle you cannot avoid admiring mr Hearst for his love for art, you get the feeling that his passion was not his work, which was the creation of a publishing empire that included several large newspapers and a movie studio, but that those were just his way of acquiring the money for his real passion which was art.
He acquired many art pieces of all types, statues, paintings, chairs, ceilings, furniture etc. but his artwork was the building of Hearst Castle, that group of houses was his art piece, that took many years of construction and that eventually, he would not completely finish. In 1954 it became a California State Park
Mr Hearst died on August 14, 1951 (aged 88) in Beverly Hills California.
While touring the castle i asked one of the tour guides if any of the Hearst family ever came to the castle and she told me that they do and that they make special arrangments so they can stay at the castle.
It’s one of the best places i have visited, i liked it so much that I am planning a new visit.