A visit to Villa Vizcaya

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, previously known as Villa Vizcaya, is the former villa and estate of businessman James Deering, of the Deering McCormick-International Harvester fortune. It’s located on Biscayne Bay, in the present day Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. Deering used Vizcaya as his winter residence from 1916 until his death in 1925.

The estate property originally consisted of 180 acres of shoreline mangrove swamps and dense inland native tropical forests. The villa was built primarily between 1914 and 1922, at a cost of $15,000,000, while the construction of the extensive elaborate Italian Renaissance gardens and the village continued into 1923.

The estate’s name refers to the northern Spanish province Vizcaya (In English Biscay), in the Basque region along the east Atlantic’s Bay of Biscay, as ‘Vizcaya’ is on the west Atlantic’s Biscayne 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 was Sebastián Vizcaíno. Deering used the Caravel, a type of ship style used during the ‘Age 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.

Vizcaya is noteworthy for adapting historical European aesthetic traditions to South Florida’s subtropical ecoregion. For example; it combined imported French and Italian garden layouts and elements implemented in Cuban limestone stonework with Floridian coral architectural trim and planted with sub-tropic compatible and native plants that thrived in the habitat and climate. Palms and Philodendrons had not been represented in the emulated gardens of Tuscany or Île-de-France.

James Deering died in September 1925 on board the steamship “SS City of Paris” en route back to the United States. After his death Vizcaya was inherited by his two nieces, Marion Chauncey Deering McCormick and Ely Deering McCormick Danielson, and that’s where the tale turns even sadder, at least for me. I do wish heirs could hold on to these grand estates after they inherit them. Surely they also got some money as inheritance. Couldn’t they have become proper stewards of the place? History answers that question with a no. 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 Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, to build Miami’s Mercy Hospital. 50 acres (200,000 m2) comprising the main house, the formal gardens, and the village were retained.

In 1952 Miami-Dade County acquired the villa and formal Italian gardens, needing significant restoration, for $1 million. Deering’s heirs donated the villa’s furnishings and antiquities to the County-Museum. Vizcaya began operation in 1953 as the Dade County Art Museum. The village and remaining property were acquired by the County during the mid-1950s. In 1994 the Vizcaya estate was designated as a National Historic Landmark. In 1998, in conjunction with Vizcaya’s reaccreditation process by the American Alliance of Museums, the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust was formed to be the museum’s governing body.

Visitors can now see the villa, estate and surrounding gardens at 3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129, USA. You can get tickets and consult visiting hours at the official website.

I have prepared a gallery of 103 photographs we took there, and I hope you enjoy seeing them!

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA.   © Raoul Pop. All rights reserved.  Available for licensing and purchase.   Website - Raoul Pop Photo Catalog - Raoul Pop Photography

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

An elegant bedroom, lamp glowing softly on the nighstand. Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Ligia at Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

A ship carved into a stone emblem. Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Stone island with statues, Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Ligia at Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Ligia at Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA. Nothing says historic glamour like plexiglass screwed on top of the other windows and a rusty ballustrade. I know the place belongs to the NPS now but come on, spruce it up, keep it original!

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya Village, Miami, Florida, USA

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Gulf water underneath mangrove trees, Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Tiny little orange-red flowers, Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA.

Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Detail from a leaf. Vizcaya, Miami, Florida, USA

Places

More photos from the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

When I published my original post about our visit to these wonderful gardens in Delray Beach which are dedicated to the hard work of the Japanese farmers in the area, I only included 16 photographs and 1 video clip. I’m not sure why — perhaps because I focused on editing the clip and thought 16 photos was enough — at any rate, it’s time to rectify the situation, so here is a gallery of 67 photographs taken at the Morikami Gardens. Enjoy!

Heron, Morikami Museum, Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

Turtles sunning themselves on a rock, in a pond at the Morikami Museum, Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

On a rocky lake shore, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Wonderful path below an arch of tree branches, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Water drips from a bamboo spout, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Underneath a bonsai tree branch, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Waterfall hidden among trees, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Wonderful path below an arch of tree branches, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Branches frame the view, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Happy little stream, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Azalea blossom, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Island in the middle of a pond, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Wonderful wooden bench, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

House on island, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Knotted bonsai tree trunk, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Stream and waterfall, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Rock texture, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Miniature tree, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pond, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pond below a waterfall, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Gravesite, George Morikami, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pine needles, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Wooden benches below a large tree, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Bridge over lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Leaves, macro, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Island in the middle of a pond, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Moss on tree trunk, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Bamboo tree stalks, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pine trunks and stone lantern, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Waterfall, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Stone lantern, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Bridge over lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Pathway and stairs, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Bridge over lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Cycas revoluta (“King Sago”), a gymnosperm, with Asian cycad scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui) — a pest — on its leaves. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

House on island in middle of lake, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

A large green lizard, Morikami Museum, Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Ferns, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA. (raoulpop.com)

Zen garden, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Stream, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach, FL, USA.

Places

Springtime in our garden

Spring has arrived and that means it’s time for my annual gallery of photographs from our garden. This is the sixth edition mind you, so it has become somewhat of a tradition for me. I hope you have a cup of tea or coffee ready — if you don’t, go get one — because there are 131 photographs for you to see. There’s also something different from previous years: I’ve taken most of the photos with my Olympus gear, particularly with my PEN E-P5 and the new lenses I bought for it. This equipment is so light and so responsive it feels like I’m almost cheating when I use it. And there’s no compromise in image quality. I love it. Enjoy the photographs!

$A lovely fractal$

$Red-tinged fractal$

A growing evening primrose plant

In our own garden

A focus stack

$Fuzzy fractal$

I call it fuzzy because of the fine hairs on the leaves of this developing comfrey plant

Primula and other assorted plants and flowers

A bee gathers pollen from grape hyacinths

A focus stack

These flowers just love to spring up on the garden path instead of sticking to the tended grounds. Also notice the itsy-bitsy spider hiding behind the shrub in the foreground.

Daisies starting to close their petals for the day

A focus stack

The petals on the lower daisy have been partially eaten by a snail

Places

Summertime in our garden

I was going through old(er) photos of mine taken in 2009, and I put together a lovely collection of summertime photos from our garden (even if I do say so myself). Look, I know it’s not summer now. It’s winter (sort of). Each season has its purpose and is beautiful in its own way. Should we get some snowfall or at least some frost, I’ll probably be out there taking photos that you’ll be able to see here. So I could have scheduled this post to publish sometime in May, or I could let you see these photos now, and let you dream of this next summer, which I hope is going to be a beautiful one for all of us. (Unless you’re in the Southern hemisphere, in which case you’ve already got your summer. Isn’t it weird how that works out?) Enjoy the photos, there are 82 of them!

An iridescent beetle suns itself on a parsley leaf. Medias, Romania.

A raspberry ripens on the vine. Medias, Romania.

Tiny white flowers with stringy white petals. Medias, Romania.

Historic district, Mediaș, Romania

The delicate blossoms of a climbing rose bush open up in the soft morning light. Medias, Romania.

The vivid orange and gold colors of a squash flower. A honeybee happens to be pollinating this one. Medias, Romania.

Trixie, exploring the yard, at 2 1/2 months of age.

Mitzi, exploring the yard, at 2 1/2 months of age.

An iridescent fly suns itself on a grape leaf. Medias, Romania.

An iridescent beetle perched on parsley leaves.

The unusual blossom of a small, soft, hairy flower with a deep-brown interior

Trixie, resting on a stone ledge on a hot summer day.

One of my favorite flowers

Small, deep-blue blossoms of a forget-me-not flower. Medias, Romania.

Ripening sour cherries in our garden

These photos were taken with the following cameras: Canon EOS 5D, Olympus Camedia C-770 UZ and Canon EOS Rebel XTi. For the Canon cameras, I used the following lenses: EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro, EF 50mm f/1.4, and the EF 24-105mm f/4L.

Canon EF 24-105mm f4L IS USM Lens

Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Lens

Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro USM Lens

Places

Another frosty morning

We were greeted by more frost this morning, so of course I hopped outside to take photos. This winter… it’s been such a non-winter that any cold weather gets me chipper. I took photos until I couldn’t feel my fingers and I loved every minute of it. I love that crisp, fresh, winter morning air! I love it so much I stayed out a bit too long and since I wasn’t really dressed for it, I felt a bit woozy after I came in, as if a fever was about to set in 🤒. I’m alright now. Enjoy the photos!