From the highway, it looks like a small mediterranean village, perched 1600 feet above sea level. It isn't. California's rugged coastal beauty makes a fitting backdrop of Hearst Castle®, formerly the state of newspaper publisher and art collector William Randolph Hearst. Operated by California State Parks as an historic house museum, Hearst Castle® offers visitors the opportunity to investigate the lavish grounds and buildings designed by architect Julia Morgan in the 28-year collaboration with William Randolf Hearst that began in 1919. A large main house and three smaller guest cottages are linked by a network of terraces and pathways through a garden large enough to be 
measured in acres.

Fine and decorative arts are evident everywhere, both indoors and out. Interesting juxtapositions highlight the diversity of the predominantly Renaissance Italian and Spanish art collection. A painted portrait hangs beside a clerical vestment, a white marble neoclassical sculpture stands next to a Roman mosaic floor, And a frosted Lalique bottle shares the room with an ancient Egyptian carving. Through the talents and efforts of Morgan and Hearst, dramatically different elements came together to produce a unified whole.

The abundance of household items, including furniture, lamps and rugs, reminds visitors that this was once a home, where the antique objects were actually meant to be used. Architectural elements; such as fireplace mantels, choir stalls and carved stone window frames were installed in the buildings, assembled to create a setting where art was incorporated into the very fabric of the rooms. 

It was in those rooms-165 in all, as well as in the Hearst's Castle's® gardens, grounds, pools and riding paths, that Mr Hearst ertertained his guests, who included hollywood stars, literary notables, athletes, politicians and other celebrities. For decades, a visit Hearst Castle was by invitation only. Now all it requires is a tour reservation.

For reservation: Telephone 800.444.4445: website: www.hearstcastle.org
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