(Per Wikipedia, “Not to be confused with Hurst Castle, Henry VIII’s Device Fort near Lymington in England.“)
Hearst Castle was built on 40,000 acres of land purchased by George Hearst, William Randolph Hearst’s father, which the elder Hearst had used as a ranch. (George Hearst made the family’s initial fortune in mining.) The hill on which the castle stands was originally a camp site, but William Randolph Hearst wanted “something a little more comfortable up on the hill,” and he worked with Julia Morgan—the first great female architect of the United States—to build a cozy little place with 42 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, two swimming pools, and three guest houses. Not quite good enough for a permanent residence, mind you, but definitely sufficient for entertaining, in keeping with tradition. The history of Hearst Castle is fascinating, especially if you’re a fan of Marion Davies or of the lifestyles of insanely wealthy people in the ’20s more generally.
Hearst and Morgan filled the house with incredible artwork—ceilings from Italian palazzos, doors from Moorish estates, a fireplace from a French château, Italian choir stalls, French tapestries, ancient Greek urns, European masters, etc. etc. All snark aside, it is fabulous.
Next: the Coast.