Hearst Castle Gardens

A luxurious palace garden, designed for William Randolph Hearst, on hill overloking the Pacific. Terraces, which adjoin the house and step down the hill, are adorned with glazed tiles, fountains and lush planting. The design was inspired by Spanish and Portuguese villas: the use of ceramic tiles (azulejos as at Palacio de Fronteira) is Portuguese and the general layout of the estate remembers the Alhambra in Spain. The enormous Neptune Pool was completed in 1936 and is pinpointed by the location marker on the satellite image below.  A Hollywood interpretation of a Roman villa pool, it is surrounded by colonnades and there is a marble Neptune statue by Charles Cassou, commissioned by Hearst.