Willliam Randolph Hearst was inspired to build Hearst Castle after travelling to Europe. Yet his tribute to the Old World is quintessentially American.
Hearst Castle at San Simeon was one of the highlights of our trip down California’s Highway 1. But I suspect the fact I lived in Europe for five years made it impossible for me to see the place the way its creator intended.
I didn’t know much about William Randolph Hearst before I visited the castle. I knew was that he was a 20th century media baron, founder of Hearst, which publishes newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle and magazines such as Cosmopolitan. That was about all. My ignorance was soon rectified at Hearst Castle – his ghost is absolutely everywhere.
My tour included a screening of the film Building the Dream, which told me a bit more about the family history, his professional partnership with architect Julia Morgan, and the entertaining of Hollywood and political royalty – everyone from Greta Garbo to Winston Churchill. (I found this great article on Hearst Castle if you are interested in learning more). Quite a bit of the film replicated the information in the tour itself but what I found especially interesting was the point about the the impact that travel had on the man.
Hearst travelled to Europe with his mother as a young boy and did a Grand Tour. This made an indelible impression on him, captivating his imagination and ultimately inspiring him to build a castle. When he made it in business he started to turn his dream to reality and brought over genuine art and artifacts from Europe. Morgan had the difficult task of stitching it all together architecturally, despite changing demands and constant new additions.
The result is a rather amazing hodge-podge of architectural styles. There’s a medieval Spanish tower, Egyptian statues, French beds, 17th century church pews and an English fireplace. The swimming pools are reminiscent of ancient Roman baths, one with Grecian columns and statues and the other with Venetian glass and real gold. But this is America, so there are ketchup and mustard stations on the long, wooden dining table, as well as a billiards room and a home movie theatre.
There are plenty of palm trees, which are classically Californian but also common in southern Europe including Spain so I guess that’s authentic. The castle is surrounded by acres and acres of coastal Californian countryside, which he filled with exotic animals. On the bus trip from the car park to the castle, we drove past a herd of zebras grazing on the hill side!
Hearst wanted it to be turned into a museum after he was gone, so that it would not be a burden to his children and to make the treasures of Europe more accessible to Americans. He could not have foreseen that actual travel to Europe would become as accessible and commonplace as it has.
All the same, Hearst Castle is well worth seeing. It’s an incredible place, though I believe it says more about America and California than about Europe. I lived in England for five years and travelled all over Europe, visiting countless stately homes and cathedrals, and it was nothing like anything I saw over there. It had a fantastical element to me – as if Europe and all its eras were actually one place and time, with a 20th century American aesthetic overlay and amenities and African animals and Egyptian antiquities thrown in for good measure. This is not a criticism – on the contrary, it’s what made the place so fascinating! But it probably was not the intended effect.
What an incredible outcome from one trip abroad as a child. Sure, Hearst had the money to build his dream. It cost $4.7 million to build between 1919 and 1947. But he had to have the dream first. And that is priceless.
Have you been to Hearst Castle? When and with whom? What did you think? Any highlights? Please let me know in the comments!
Hearst Castle
Address: 750 Hearst Castle Road, San Simeon, CA 93452-9741
Tel: (800) 444-4445
Web: www.hearstcastle.org
- This post is part 6 in my Driving Highway 1 series. Previous posts include hiking at Big Sur and The Lost Boys rail bridge at Santa Cruz.
- More of my photos from Hearst Castle and the Highway 1 road trip on Flickr.
Glad that you enjoyed Hearst Castle! Love it! You should check out more architecture by Julia Morgan ( interesting woman) like at the beautiful Asilomar in Pacific Grove.
Highway one becomes more and more fascinating the more times that you drive it. I’ve done it thousands of times over many years and always found new things each trip.
.-= soultravelers3´s last blog ..Camping Europe in a Motorhome RV: 5 Best Sites! =-.
I’ve never been up to the castle, but I have spent many afternoons on the beach at the bottom of the hill and across Highway 1. I used to love it there, it was so out in the middle of nowhere and most of the time I was the only one on the beach. There was also a little trail that led through what we called “the enchanted forest” out to the point. It was just a nice walk.
There are a number of Julia Morgan’s buildings in Berkeley and Oakland.
.-= kimba´s last blog ..Poet Geoff Bouvier Reading At Mercury 20 Gallery =-.
I went to the beach as well, though I don’t think I found the Enchanted Forest trail! You really should do the tourist thing and go to the castle some time – it’s amazing! – Caitlin.
I’d love to visit Hearst Castle, and your series of posts make me want to go even more. So far the closest I’ve been is driving on Highway 101 (which is pretty far along that stretch of 101) or in a movie theater watching “Citizen Kane” (which is loosely based on Hearst’s life).
Echoing soultravelers3′s and kimba’s comments, there is a good amount of Julia Morgan architecture in the S.F. area. Berkeley, where I live, has the City Club on Durant, a theater on College (near Derby), the Women’s Faculty Club on the UC campus and probably quite a few private residences. I suppose there is a good website; there are certainly a few books about her work.
.-= Marc´s last blog ..Spicing red beans the Georgian way =-.
Having worked for the Hearst corp, I really enjoyed seeing these photos. I have come so close to the Hearst Castle on my past 2 trips to CA, but the first time I didn’t go north enough and the 2nd time I didn’t go south enough. Oh well, one day…
.-= Travelogged´s last blog ..Cinco de Mayo Edition: Top 5 Places I Want to Visit in Mexico =-.
Thanks for your comment – you might enjoy the pictures of the pools as well! – Caitlin.