If you enjoy architecture and gardens and a small glimpse into how the rich and successful live, Miami has a few terrific options for you. I previously covered the Charles Deering Estate at Cutler which is already quite impressive, but it’s nothing compared to the Vizcaya Villa belonging to a different member of the Deering family – James Deering. With some Italian influences and Baroque elements, the gardens are quite charming and the interior overwhelming.
Wikipedia writes :
Vizcaya, now named the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, on Biscayne Bay in the present day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The early 20th century Vizcaya estate also includes: extensive Italian Renaissance gardens; native woodland landscape; and a historic village outbuildings compound. The landscape and architecture were influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance models and designed in the Mediterranean Revival architecture style, with Baroque elements. Paul Chalfin was the design director.
The estate property originally consisted of 180 acres (730,000 m2) of shoreline Mangrove swamps and dense inland native tropical forests. Being a conservationist, Deering sited the development of the estate portion along the shore to conserve the forests. This portion was to include the villa, formal gardens, recreational amenities, expansive lagoon gardens with new islets, potager and grazing fields, and a village services compound. The villa was built primarily between 1914 and 1916, while the construction of the extensive elaborate Italian Renaissance gardens and the village continued into 1923.
Vizcaya’s villa exterior and garden architecture is a composite of different Italian Renaissance villas and gardens, with French Renaissance parterre features, based on visits and research by Chalfin, Deering, and Hoffman. The villa facade’s primary influence is the Villa Rezzonico designed by Baldassarre Longhena at Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is referred to sometimes as the "Hearst Castle of the East".
Take a look at the gardens…
Lovely, aren’t they?
The rest of the grounds are as nice…
Wasn’t expecting to find this type of mansions in Miami, but it seems that the winter escapes to Miami by the American rich erected a number of those all over the city. I have a couple more coming up soon…