Biltmore Estate View Above the Front Entrance
San Simeon, California has the Hearst Castle and Ashville, North Carolina has the Biltmore Estate, which is the largest privately owned home in America. What do they have in common? They are both the result of a family that effectively had an infinite amount of money and could build opulent palaces for their own enjoyment. Also, in both cases the estates were country retreats to which the owners invited the rich and famous to join them to share the luxury that only huge piles of money can provide. The property is still owned by the Vanderbilt family. The home remains one of the most prominent examples of a mansion built during the Gilded Age (late 19th century, from the 1870s to about 1900). The style of construction is called "Chateauesque", reminiscsent of monumental châteaux of the Loire Valley in France from the late fifteenth century to the early seventeenth century.
Size: 7287px × 4863px
Location: Asheville, NC, USA
Photo credit: © B. David Cathell / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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