James Deering's magnificent winter residence on 28 acres of land, which is a National Historic Landmark, was built in the early twentieth century for the businessman. The home, which was built in 1916, has 34 rooms that are grouped around a central courtyard.
For the Vizcaya project to be completed, more than 1,100 artisans and craftsmen were required, many of them were brought over from Europe in order to ensure that the design was authentic.
Its magnificent collection of European furniture and decorative arts, dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries, is housed in a villa designed in the Italian Renaissance style.
Beautiful Italian and French fountains, pools, and statues may be found throughout the grounds and gardens. Located at the bottom of the steps leading down to Biscayne Bay is an ornately carved barge with female figures, which serves as a breakwater. This is located near Little River, FL.
Located in Miami-Dade County, Vizcaya is operated by the not-for-profit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc., and is owned and supported by the county. Both the Board of Trustees and the Vizcaya staff are committed to strengthening the institution's role as a center of scholarship and discourse that contributes to the vitality and long-term sustainability of our community.
A major goal of the Vizcaya Foundation is to maintain the estate's cultural and environmental resources in order to involve people in connecting with the past, understanding the present, and molding the future through these resources near Princeton, FL.
On Biscayne Bay in the present-day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, FL, sits the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, formerly known as Villa Vizcaya, the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, and his family. The museum and gardens are open to the public. The Vizcaya estate, which dates back to the early twentieth century, also features huge Italian Renaissance gardens, a native woodland setting, and a medieval village outbuildings complex.
Inspire by Veneto and Tuscan Renaissance models, the environment and architecture were created in the Mediterranean Revival architecture style with Baroque characteristics. Design directors Paul Chalfin and Diego Suarez worked with architect F. Burrall Hoffman, who was also the project's landscape architect.
The Vizcaya site is presently owned by Miami-Dade County, which operates it as the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which is open to the public. A Miami Metrorail station, the Vizcaya Station, is located nearby and serves the area.
The name of the estate is derived from the northern Spanish province of Vizcaya (in English, Biscay), which is located in the Basque region along the east Atlantic's Bay of Biscay, whereas the name 'Vizcaya' is located on the west Atlantic's Biscayne Bay. According to historical records, Deering wanted the name to honor an early Spaniard named Vizcaya, whom he believed had explored the area; however, he was later informed that the explorer's name was really Sebastián Vizcano. The Caravel, a type of ship style popular during the 'Age of Exploration,' was chosen by Deering to serve as the mark and emblem of Vizcaya. An evocative image of the mythological explorer "Bel Vizcaya" greets tourists as they approach the property's entryway.