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Vizcaya Research Paper

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I have not had the fortune to travel to many places, but did not really need to in order to write about one of my favorite places. I have chosen to write about Vizcaya, a place in which I have personally been able to experience and enjoy many times throughout my life. Although Vizcaya was constructed in what would be considered modern times, Vizcaya’s Gardens were inspired and designed in a European Renaissance style. Its formal gardens and design are reminiscent of Italian home and garden design of the late 15th to 18th century, influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance. These splendid gardens are very formal and orderly, created for the environment of the user. They are very symmetrical and include all sorts of fascinating elements …show more content…

The lavish estate and elaborate gardens were built in the early 20th century between 1914 and 1923; a time in U.S. history known as the American Renaissance; when the wealthy would build extremely opulent residential estates inspired by the European Renaissance. Vizcaya presently consists of 50 acres of land; with the villa, gardens and remaining native forests, of which has been conserved from its original 180 acres. The grand estate was built by and served as the winter home for businessman/ international Harvester and conservationist, James Deering. The poetic seaside grounds original 180 acres consisted of dense inland native tropical forests and shoreline mangrove swamps before being purchased by Deering and transformed in to the magnificent …show more content…

These are very formal and symmetric using paths and hedges all trimmed to shapes. Is an interesting dichotomy to think that the designers of Vizcaya, even though they were intent in designing an Italian Reinassance Garden recognized the uniqueness of the tropical environment of South Florida and accommodated it in the design and the use of plant material. In my view this is what defines a good designer, one that even though had been commissioned to accomplish a very formal venue, taking on a completely new and unfamiliar location, had the sensitivity to recognize the natural environment of the

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