Hearst Castle

Ceiling Saturday Casa del Sol guest cottage has eight total bedrooms; four of which are on the upper level of this structure. We will explore those ceilings. The bedrooms adjacent to each other, share the same design. This particular ceiling was completed in 1923; painted and gilded cast plaster. This design was inspired by Moorish architecture. Moorish art is a variation of Islamic art. It has repeated patterns such as geometric shapes, vegetative designs, and decorative tiles.

Today's Unsung Hero was an artist educated in Europe who brought his talent to the United States and became prominent in the bay area before creating work for William Randolph Hearst - including several large marble fountains. Guide Margaret introduces us to Stephen Miletin.

Ettore Hector Serbaroli was an Italian painter. His time at San Simeon, working for Julia Morgan and William Randolph Hearst was short - the first half of the 1920s - but he left an impression on his employers who vowed to bring him back if they ever had a chance. Through contacts he made at the Castle, he moved on from San Simeon to Hollywood to continue his work as an artist. Serbaroli's talents as a painter and his work in Casa Grande make him an unsung hero.

Ceiling Saturday We continue admiring ceilings in Casa del Mar guest cottage. Most every space on the hilltop includes a sitting room. This sitting room’s ceiling was created during 1921-1923 from gilded plaster and painted. The nice interlacing design is partially adapted from a 16th century ceiling in the palace of Charles V; inside the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

Warren "Mac" McClure was the architectural draftsman for Hearst and Morgan for more than 20 years. His work with another important figure, Thaddeus Joy, put him on the path to San Simeon. McClure would say that of all the work he did for Morgan, it was his time at San Simeon that was his favorite. As her sole on-site representative, and having to manage Hearst's very hands on style, the job was not without its challenges. Mac is most definitely one of our unsung heroes behind the building of Hearst Castle.

Happy Halloween Hearst Castle fans! Have you ever taken a tour with us and felt like you were being watched? Nearly everywhere you look you can find faces looking back at you - from human to animal to something in between. Watch guide Monica as she takes you on a tour of some of the more fantastical creatures found in the art and architecture - otherwise known as grotesques!

#tbt In 1920, William Randolph Hearst wrote to his architect Julia Morgan, I think it would be worthwhile to make one house with a little Moorish character. Casa del Sol (pictured) was designed with this style in mind. Moorish architecture is named after the Moors. North African people who conquered the Iberian Peninsula and many islands in the Western Mediterranean beginning in the 700’s. It has prominent motifs such as rounded archways, decorative tiles, and geometric de...signs. A pop of Mudejar architecture was added to this guest cottage as well. This style is strongly influenced by Moorish taste and workmanship. Then: 1930’s. Now: 2020. We commemorate 100 years in 2020 since they broke ground and it all started with the guest cottages such as Casa del Sol. <>

#tbt Cast stone work on the hilltop was plentiful. Another plentiful item that is seen all throughout the estate is lions holding shields. The black and white historic image, from the 1920’s, was one of the workshops where these lions were created. Cast stone is a type of molded concrete that closely imitates stone. This design was inspired by a Spanish 15th century stone lion that was purchased in the 1920’s from New York. ... These particular lions featured in the historic image made their way up to the Celestial Suite balcony, on the 4th floor of Casa Grande. <>

Hearst Castle is part of the greater San Luis Obispo Coast District of California State Parks. Our district includes not only this historic house museum but 42 miles of stunning seascapes, historic treasures, and sandy beaches. You can find all kinds of enjoyable and educational content for all ages on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SanLuisObispoCoastDistrict/about . . Be sure to subscribe!

Join Guide Kate as she presents three bronze statues from William Randolph Hearst's collection that have an American connection. She will also show us where these statues are located on the hilltop.

Recently we highlighted one of our statues located in the vestibule of the Assembly Room (inside Casa Grande). One of our Facebook friends requested that we feature the floor so, here it is. These mosaic tiles are located at the main entrance. The brown and red area includes ancient Roman portions with modern extension work as well. The center panel displays a Triton, an octopus, a fancy fish (left), and a dolphin (right). This center section was sold to Mr. Hearst in 1921 from Alessandro Piacentini in Rome as a Roman mosaic. It is in the Roman black and white style, commonly used from 1st century B.C. To 3rd century A.D. The mosaic underwent extensive restoration from 1985-1988.

E is for Escutcheon (uh-skuh-chn) In heraldry, an escutcheon is a shield or shield-shaped emblem displaying a coat of arms. Many escutcheons can be found in the furnishings and decor at Hearst Castle: carved in wood or stone, or cast in plaster as pictured over the lobby doors in B House (Casa del Monte). The four escutcheons in the lobby of B House were cast by artisan Theo Van der Loo and his crew, then painted and gilded by Frank Humrich and his crew. The design is based o...n an 18th century Spanish coat of arms, but customized for Mr. Hearst: each one is labeled 'Piedras Blancas,' with images related to the ranch. What design do you think best represents his estate?

Today at 1 pm! Join us!

Mr. Hearst loved a good costume party (usually for his birthday), either at San Simeon or Marion Davies' beach house in Santa Monica. Guests at the ranch remembered the library in Casa Grande full of costume racks to choose from. If you were a guest, which of these parties would you have most enjoyed attending? A) Old West (hosted at San Simeon in 1933, with a covered wagon) B) Civil War (hosted at San Simeon in 1934) C) Circus (hosted at Marion Davies' beach house in 1937)... D) American History (hosted at Marion Davies' beach house in 1938, with a carousel) See more

Among the favorable and mixed impressions of William Randolph Hearst, it is expected once in a while to come across a negative view from one of his guests. It seems Sir Pelham Grenville (P.G.) Wodehouse, the British writer, did not have the best experience at La Cuesta Encantada, as he wrote on February 25, 1931: "You don't see Hearst till dinnertime, and then, if you're a sensitive soul like me and sitting immediately opposite him, you might wish you hadn't seen him then. I...n my experience there are two kinds of elderly American. One, the stout and horn-rimmed, is mateyness itself. He greets you as if you were a favorite son, starts agitating the cocktail shaker before you know where you are, slips a couple into you with a merry laugh, tells you a dialect story about two Irishmen named Pat and Mike, and in a word makes life one grand sweet song. The other, which runs a good deal to the tight lips and the cold gray stare, seems to view the English cousin with concern. It is not elfin. It broods. It says little. And every now and then you catch its eye, and it is like colliding with a raw oyster. Mine host belongs to the latter class. He's a sinister old devil, not at all the sort I'd care to meet down a lonely alley on a dark night. Looks to me always as if he was plotting something, probably a murder."