Sunday, January 06, 2008

San Simeon's Hearst Castle

From afar, the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif., looks like a little hill town huddled around a twin-towered cathedral. Behind the scenes, it takes another small village of dusters, landscapers and conservators to keep William Randolph Hearst's ode to architectural excess up and running.

The Roman Pool, which lies in all its blue-tiled splendor under the tennis courts, is the last stop on tours. The pool perhaps takes its cue from ancient baths such as the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, which date to the early 3rd century.

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