THE STORIES OF VIZCAYA

Spring Hill Bourbon Whiskey. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Despite having its most active years during the age of Prohibition, Vizcaya was anything but a dry estate. Archival purchase records and letters tell us that James Deering bought thousands of dollars’ worth of alcohol for Vizcaya and many original bottles remain in the collection today. Despite

Every castle needs a moat and Vizcaya is no different. This feature of the estate goes largely unnoticed by visitors because of its location below the Piazza. As guests arrive at the estate and approach the admissions booth, they unknowingly walk right over the inconspicuous moat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gM95TTf0s4 The Origins  The moat was originally used as

Vizcaya has been a witness to numerous significant occurrences in the history of Miami over the last century. Initially built in 1916 as the vacation home of the affluent businessman James Deering, it has since evolved into a revered public art museum. Throughout its existence, Vizcaya has actively engaged with the community and played a

Vizcaya: James Deering’s Winter Home  The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens stand as a testament to the vision of businessman James Deering. Constructed between 1914 and 1922, this stunning villa encompasses 34 exquisitely decorated rooms, formal gardens, a mangrove shoreline, a hardwood hammock, and a historic village that once supported the estate. Now serving as a

Mr. Deering’s Sitting Room graces the second floor of the Main House with its grandeur. Designed in the neoclassical style, the room exudes symmetry, rigid lines, and opulent gilding, reminiscent of the 1750s European aesthetic associated with Napoleon Bonaparte. This style also extends to other rooms, including James Deering’s bedroom, creating an aura of timeless

Introduction: A Massive Preservation Effort Vizcaya’s Waterfront Restoration project stands as a testament to the preservation efforts undertaken to protect this historical treasure, which has weathered the passage of time and natural disasters. Hurricane Irma, which hit Miami in 2017, impacted every major architectural element along Vizcaya’s waterfront. The Barge: Recovery and Restoration The Barge

Introduction to Romanticism Movement During the 18th century, an artistic movement known as Romanticism spread throughout Europe, seeking to evoke an idealized world of rural simplicity in contrast to the urban, industrialized centers of the cities. This nostalgic vision of a peaceful countryside was expressed through various art forms, including oil paintings and lead garden

Recaptured Memories and Modern Reinterpretations Lost Spaces and Stories of Vizcaya was an exhibition that commemorated Vizcaya’s centennial in 2016 by exploring the history of the estate, its original design intent, and daily life at Vizcaya in its early years. Over the past century, nature and time have transformed Vizcaya, and many of its spaces and

Salting the Earth Vizcaya’s Fountain Garden was once known by a different name. Originally, this space was designed to be a rose garden. It served as such when the gardens were completed in 1922. James Deering enjoyed the roses while he wintered here from November to March. When the Great Hurricane of 1926 hit Miami,

One of the smallest items in Vizcaya’s archives contains oversized information about daily life in South Florida in the 1920s. Frank Landon McGinnis, Vizcaya’s estate manager from 1919 until the 1930s, kept a daily work diary in 1922