Vizcaya | |
 Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in February 2011 | |
    | |
| Location | 3251 South Miami Avenue Miami,Florida, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 25°44′37″N80°12′37″W / 25.74361°N 80.21028°W /25.74361; -80.21028 |
| Area | 43 acres (17 ha) |
| Built | 1914–23[2] |
| Architect | F. Burrall Hoffman (architect),Paul Chalfin (designer), andDiego Suarez (landscape architect)[2] |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival Style; withBaroque,[3]Italian Renaissance,[2]Italian Renaissance Revival[4] |
| Website | Vizcaya.org |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000181[1] (original) 78003193 (increase) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1970[1] |
| Boundary increase | November 15, 1978 |
| Designated NHLD | April 19, 1994[3] |
TheVizcaya Museum and Gardens, previously known as Villa Vizcaya, is the formervilla andestate ofbusinessmanJames Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune, onBiscayne Bay in the present-dayCoconut Grove neighborhood ofMiami, Florida. The early 20th-century Vizcaya estate also includes extensiveItalian Renaissance gardens, native woodland landscape, and a historic village outbuildings compound.
The landscape and architecture were influenced byVeneto andTuscanItalian Renaissance models and designed in theMediterranean Revival architecture style, with Baroque elements.F. Burrall Hoffman was the architect,[5]Iwahiko Tsumanuma (also known as Thomas Rockrise) was the associate architect,[6]Paul Chalfin was the design director, andDiego Suarez was the landscape architect.[7]
Miami-Dade County now owns the Vizcaya property, as the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which is open to the public.[8] The location is served by theVizcaya Station of theMiami Metrorail.
The estate's name refers to the northern Spanish provinceBiscay, "Vizcaya", in theBasque region along the east Atlantic'sBay of Biscay, as the estate is on the west Atlantic'sBiscayne Bay.
Records indicate Deering wished the name also to commemorate an early Spaniard named Vizcaya who he thought explored the area, although later he was corrected that the explorer's name wasSebastián Vizcaíno. Deering used thecaravel, a type of ship style used during theAge of Exploration, as the symbol and emblem of Vizcaya. A representation of the mythical explorer "Bel Vizcaya" welcomes visitors at the entrance to the property.
The estate property originally consisted of 180 acres (73 ha) of shorelinemangrove wetlands and dense inland native tropical forests. Being aconservationist, Deering sited the development of the estate portion along the shore to conserve the forests. This portion was to include the villa, formal gardens, recreational amenities, expansivelagoon gardens with new islets,potager and grazing fields, and a village services compound. Deering began construction of Vizcaya in 1912, officially beginning occupancy onChristmas Day 1916, when he arrived aboard his yachtNepenthe.[9][10]
The villa was built primarily between 1914 and 1922, at a cost of $15 million,[11] while the construction of the extensive elaborateItalian Renaissance gardens and village continued into 1923. Deering used Vizcaya as his winter residence from 1916 until his death in 1925. DuringWorld War I, workers in the building trades and supplies were difficult to acquire in Florida.
Vizcaya is noteworthy for adapting historical European aesthetic traditions to South Florida'ssubtropicalecoregion. For example, it combined imported French and Italian garden layouts and elements implemented in Cubanlimestonestonework with Floridiancoral architectural trim and planted with sub-tropic compatible andnative plants that thrived in thehabitat andclimate.Palms andphilodendrons had not been represented in the emulated gardens ofTuscany orÎle-de-France.
In 1910, interior decoratorElsie de Wolfe introduced[12] Deering toPaul Chalfin,[13] a former art curator, painter, and interior designer, who became the project's director.[3] He assisted and encouraged Deering to collect art items, antiquities, and architectural elements for the project. Chalfin recommended the architectF. Burrall Hoffman[14] to design the structure and facade of the villa, garden pavilions, and estate outbuildings.
In 1914, during a visit toVilla La Pietra inFlorence, Deering and Chalfin met[15] Colombian landscape designerDiego Suarez.[16] Suarez, the designer of the landscape master plan and individual gardens, trained with SirHarold Acton at the gardens of Villa La Pietra.[17] Suarez originally planned to model the garden after a 16th century Italian Villa Garden in Viterbo.[18] However, he realized the plans were not conducive to the landscape and opted for an Italian renaissance style. Suarez collaborated with Chalfin for the decorative elements of the garden. To achieve the aged look Deering desired, they incorporated, mature trees, vines, draping plants, coral stone sculptures, and antiques. Suarez wanted to give the garden an exaggerated perspective and made the garden mound, an artificial hill, the focal point. Beyond the mound, he created several room like sections: the central space, Secret Garden, The Theater Garden, Maze Garden, and Fountain Garden.[19] Each section is uniquely decorated and features carefully chosen greenery. The garden is filled with exotic plants like peach palms, giant elephant ears, Borneo giants, Regina's disco lounges, and Cuban Royal Palms. Unfortunately, Chalfin and Suarez had too many clashing ideas for the finishing touches of the gardens and Suarez left the project in 1917.[18]
Vizcaya's villa exterior and garden architecture is a composite of differentItalian Renaissance villas and gardens, withFrench Renaissanceparterre features, based on visits and research by Chalfin, Deering, and Hoffman.[20] The villa facade's primary influence is theVilla Rezzonico(it)[21] designed byBaldassarre Longhena atBassano del Grappa in theVeneto region of northern Italy.[22][23][24] Vizcaya is sometimes referred to as the "Hearst Castle of the East".[25]
Vizcaya Museum also featuresGilded Age technology. There are old doorbells, a dumbwaiter, and a rotary-dial telephone. Vizcaya's telephone system was the first in Miami-Dade County.
Deering died in September 1925, on board thesteamshipSSCity of Paris en route back to the United States. After his death Vizcaya was inherited by his two nieces, Marion Deering McCormick, wife of Chauncey McCormick, and Barbara Deering Danielson, wife of Richard Ely Danielson. Over the decades, after hurricanes and increasing maintenance costs, they began selling the estate's surrounding land parcels and outer gardens. In 1945, they sold significant portions of the Vizcaya property to the CatholicDiocese ofSt. Augustine, Florida, to build Miami'sMercy Hospital. 50 acres (200,000 m2) comprising the main house, the formal gardens, and the village were retained.[17][26]
In 1952, Miami-Dade County acquired the villa and formal Italian gardens, which needed significant restoration, for $1 million. Deering's heirs donated the villa's furnishings and antiquities to the County-Museum.[17][26] Vizcaya began operation in 1953 as the Dade CountyArt Museum. The village and remaining property were acquired by the county during the mid-1950s. In 1994, the Vizcaya estate was designated aNational Historic Landmark.[3] In 1998, in conjunction with Vizcaya's reaccreditation process by theAmerican Alliance of Museums, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust was formed to be the museum's governing body.
In 1960, theMiami Science Museum and Space Transit Planetarium was built on the area of Vizcaya across from the main building.
On March 22, 1971, three individuals fromNew York City stole approximately $1.5 million in artworks and silver items from the Villa Vizcaya, some of which were of historical value.[27] The trio of reputed jewel thieves was arrested on March 25, 1971.[28] Sergeant Tom Connolly from theNew York City Police Department raided theManhattan apartment ofVojislav Stanimirović and his wife, Branka, and arrested them. The couple's accomplice, Alexander Karalanović, was also arrested, and all three were charged with suspicion of stolen property and possession of a dangerous weapon. From the Stanimirovićs' apartment, approximately $250,000 of the stolen goods was recovered. Sergeant Connolly stated that included in the theft was a virtually priceless silver bowl that once belonged toNapoleon Bonaparte.[29] According to Sergeant Connolly, the three perpetrators had been under surveillance for four months for unrelated jewel burglaries that they had carried out in theManhattan Diamond District. NYPD Captain Thomas Kissane said that the vast majority of the precious items stolen from the Vizcaya were never recovered.
"Miami-Dade in 2017 entered into a long-term operating and management agreement with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust Inc., a local nonprofit. The county still provides funds for “upkeep, maintenance, renovations and operations … in the form of annual budget appropriations and grants.” —Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez —Miami Today"[8]
The estate is now known officially as the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, which consists of 50 acres (200,000 m2) with the villa and the gardens, and the remaining native forest. The estate is a total of 50 acres (200,000 m2), of which 10 acres (40,000 m2) contain theItalian Renaissanceformal gardens, and 40 acres (160,000 m2) are circulation and the nativehammock.[17][30] This beautiful landscape is packed with unique decor and "tons" of history. The complimentary audio tour provides a great selection-paced tool to explore this marvelous mansion and its surroundings. There are "tons" of nooks and crannies to explore, making it a great place to spend hours discovering all its wonders.[31]
The villa's museum contains more than seventy rooms of distinctive architectural interiors decorated with numerous antiques, with an emphasis on 15th through early 19th-centuryEuropeandecorative art and furnishings.[17][30] Amongst the furnishings are ceramics, the originals of which were shipped from England in 1912 but sank along with the Titanic. Luckily, Deering had taken out insurance and had them replaced.[32]
Vizcaya was built with an open-air courtyard and extensive gardens on Biscayne Bay. As such, the estate has been subject to environmental and hurricane damage, the latter notably in 1926, 1992, and 2005. Miami-Dade County has granted money ($50 million) for the restoration and preservation of Vizcaya. These funds have been matched by grants fromFEMA,Save America's Treasures, and numerous other funders. Plans include restoration of the villa and gardens, and adaptation of the historic village compound for exhibition and educational facilities; however, additional funds are required for this. The completed first phase of the project included rebuilding of the museum's cafe and shop (in historic recreation areas of the building adjacent to the pool), renovation of the North and South Gate Lodges that flank SouthMiami Avenue, and rebuilding of the David A. Klein Orchidarium in a plan that generally uses historic precedent. At the same time, Vizcaya has completed the first half of a major conservation program of its outdoor sculpture collections. With a consulting landscape architect, Vizcaya has also finished a comprehensive cultural landscape report, which will be a vital tool in the ongoing restoration of the formal gardens.
The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 devastated the greater Miami area including Vizcaya. The estate's historic rose garden was destroyed after saltwater seeped in, decimating the roses and preventing growth thereafter. Vizcaya's horticultural team partnered with the Tropical Rose Society of Miami to help bring some roses back to Vizcaya's gardens 100 years later. However, the historic rose garden, now known as the fountain garden, has not been returned to its former glory.[33]One of Vizcaya's outdoor restoration project challenges included the estate's swimming pool grotto, built in 1916. The pool is only one of two public places in the world to feature a surviving mural byRobert Winthrop Chanler, a prominent American artist. The ceiling mural was designed in 1916, depicting an underwater fantasy scene filled with creatures and marine life. Shells are embedded into the plaster mural of the scene.[34]
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In 1992 and 2005, the swimming grotto was submerged during hurricanes. The combination of floods and Miami's climate have led to preservation challenges and are a priority to the museum. The State of Florida and the Division of Emergency Management's Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program provided Vizcaya with a grant of $194,000 to help prevent future damage to the historic estate.[35]
In 2008 theNational Trust for Historic Preservation listed Vizcaya as one of America's Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places.[36] As noted by the National Trust's website, Vizcaya's inclusion on this list was based on the threat of proposed highrise development on neighboring property. Specifically, the National Trust stated: "Unless development is blocked or an intervention occurs, this cultural landscape will be permanently damaged by the construction of three high-rise condominium towers within Vizcaya's historic viewshed."[37] The proposed highrises were blocked by two court rulings and, in 2010, the City of Miami included viewshed protection for historic properties such as Vizcaya in its new zoning code, Miami 21.
Other types of events are hosted by the museum to collect funds for its preservation. For example, every Halloween, Vizcaya organizes a costume party, where people from all around Florida attend in costume.
Vizcaya participates in Baynanza, Biscayne Bay Cleanup Day, an annual community event to clean up the most important ecological system in South Florida. During the event, Vizcaya encourages participants to capture Biscayne Bay's beauty with a photography contest. The event usually takes place on Earth Day.[38]
Vizcaya was the 1987 venue where PresidentRonald Reagan receivedPope John Paul II on his first visit to Miami.[39][40]
Vizcaya was the 1994 location of the first 'Summit of the Americas', convened byPresident Bill Clinton. The thirty-four nations' leaders that met at Vizcaya created the 'Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA),' that all the hemisphere's countries, exceptCuba, could join for national and corporate trade benefits.
"Vizcaya was a very modern house. Many are surprised to learn that it was built largely of reinforced concrete, with the latest technology of the period, such as generators and a water filtration system. Vizcaya was also equipped with heating and ventilation, two elevators, a dumbwaiter, a central vacuum-cleaning system and a partly automated laundry room."—Vizcaya Museum & Gardens[41]
Vizcaya was built with a residential elevator, but it is closed to the public. Vizcaya does not meet ADA standards.[8]
Vizcaya has provided the setting for many films, both credited and uncredited. Deering himself enjoyed watching silent films in Vizcaya's courtyard, and he had a particular interest in the works ofCharlie Chaplin. External pictures of Vizcaya can be seen in the filmsTony Rome,Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,[42][43]Any Given Sunday,[44]Bad Boys II,Airport '77,Haunts of the Very Rich,The Money Pit,The Champ,This Thing is Ours,Dostana,[45]Daring Game[46] andIron Man 3. The music video forThe Cover Girls' 1988 song "Promise Me" was filmed at Vizcaya,[47] as were the music videos forNew Edition's "I'm Still In Love With You" andCristian Castro's songSi Tú Me Amaras from 1997. Vizcaya was often used as the setting for the South Florida filming of the wedding reality showFour Weddings.[48] The daytime soap operaDays of Our Lives also had scenes filmed at Vizcaya.[46]
The estate can be seen in the background of various photographs taken by photographerBunny Yeager of modelBettie Page during their working relationship in the 1950s.[49]
Vizcaya is also an extremely popular location for weddings and other special events, given the site's architectural and natural beauty. For decades, the estate has been a subject of photography, and is a favored site for photographs of women celebrating theirquinceañera (15th birthday).[50]
On April 18, 2012, theAIA's Florida Chapter placed Vizcaya on its list ofFlorida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places.[51]
Notes
The floors of the estate, built nearly a century ago, were uneven in places. Many parts of the grounds both inside and in the gardens outside couldn't be accessed by wheelchair....We were told there was no elevator for them to get to the second floor of the house...The museum has two wheelchair lifts to help visitors gain access to the grounds from the parking lot. One works, though Vizcaya temporarily removed its four on-site wheelchairs in May to reduce touchpoints during the pandemic. The other still awaits repairs for damages sustained during Hurricane Irma in 2017....Miami-Dade in 2017 entered into a long-term operating and management agreement with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust Inc., a local nonprofit. The county still provides funds for "upkeep, maintenance, renovations and operations … in the form of annual budget appropriations and grants," Mr. Martinez's item said.
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