Hi friends, welcome back to the finale of my Miami Series. After tour the interior of Vizcaya, it was time to brave the heat and tour the lovely gardens. The garden was designed by landscape architect Diego Suarez and “decorated” by Artistic Director Paul Chaflin who also did the mansion. The goal was to create a fusion of formal French and Italian gardens from the 1400s to 1700s. It did remind me a little of being in the Versailles garden, but on a much smaller scale. This design was harder to execute than expected because the climate is so different down in Florida plus the annual threat of hurricanes. Both designers had to consult local experts to substitute plants that would thrive here.
The garden is arranged with paths branching off into smaller gardens throughout. I enjoyed discovering the different areas although the humidity I could do without 🙂
This walkway is lined with Venetian statues dating back to the 1700s.
This structure is called The Casino, meaning little house in Italian. It was under construction while I was there, but Deering used this room for reading, playing cards, and hanging out with his friends.
Behind the Casino was a giant lagoon that Deering and his guests would explore on gondolas, but his nieces donated the land to the Catholic Church who filled it in. This picture is from Vizcaya’s website and showed how it used to look. The estate was originally 180 acres, but only about 50 remain in possession of Vizcaya.
Some movies were shot here including scenes from Money Pit, Iron Man 3, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. I saw quite a few quinceañera photoshoots while I was strolling through the gardens. It is a beautiful backdrop!
They were setting up for an event on the back patio. I was here on a Monday so I don’t think it was a wedding.
This barge was used as a happy hour spot, but they had to row over there. The barge was built on a sandbar and then they dug the land out in between to fill it in. The barge also helped to break up the waves coming to the shore and for a smoother passage for those visiting by boat. The left of the barge was the dock for Deering’s yacht and to the right is a tea house.
His pool was half indoor, half outdoor. The house also had a bowling alley and hidden bar because alcohol was illegal at the time.
I loved visiting Vizcaya and would highly recommend stopping by on a trip to Miami! Hope you enjoyed this little Miami series. Jon and I enjoyed our break from winter and weren’t quite ready to leave!
Every wealthy businessman in America seemed to need his little piece of European elegance to fully feel like they belonged to the aristocracy. I see elements of both Versailles and Villa Ephrussi here and then to add gondolas and a booze barge. Who would not want to be invited down for the weekend here.? Thanks for taking us along Lyssy. Happy Monday. Allan
They sure did! You’re right it does look similar to Villa Ephrussi too, I’d love to see that one day! I’d definitely have wanted to be invited to a party at Vizcaya, the Gilded Age sure seemed a little wild.
Gorgeous property and garden which reminds me greatly of the gardens surrounding the Cathedral in Palma, Malloca.
Sounds like another beautiful place to add to my list 🙂
Indeed
This place is simply spectacular. Each direction you turn, there seems to be something beautiful to look at, from the skylights to the eighteenth-century Italian-inspired fountain. Seeing its extensive Italian Renaissance-inspired gardens would definitely be a highlight. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
It is so spectacular, no detail was left unnoticed! It’s a great place for some peace and quiet in Miami. I was glad I was there before the bugs came out for the season 🙂
Wow! Vizcaya Museum and Garden look just as great outside as inside! A lovely blend of architecture that is reminiscent of Spanish and Moorish influences…glad you had a brief, but much-needed getaway to Miami. Can’t wait to see where you go next!
I am very glad they spent just as much thought on the garden as the interior. Such a beautiful garden to stroll around and so well taken care of.
Those gardens looks like something from another world/time! They are so lovely. I bet it was a lot of fun to explore.
The gardens were the perfect place to stroll and get some peace and quiet! They do feel like a different world from the rest of the city.
Your photos convey how truly spectacular this setting must be. When you said Vizcaya was featured in several movie, Scarface was he first one I thought of.
Thank you! It really is a spectacular estate. That movie is a little too violent for me haha but Jon loves it!
What a beautiful garden! There’s so much to see inside and outside. Fantastic photos! Thank you for sharing. 😊
The garden was really spectacular and so much to see! Thank you!
Amazing! Thanks for showing us this place. I’d never heard of it.
It is an amazing estate! I’d never heard of it until I was looking at a map of Miami while planning my trip.
It looks amazing, your photos are beautiful and you had perfect weather 🙂
Thank you! It was the perfect day to explore the garden 🙂
Vizcaya museum and its beautiful gardens are very impressive and reminded me of Versailles. I knew very little about Miami before reading your series of posts and didn’t think it was somewhere I wanted to visit but your posts have convinced me otherwise!
Miami is a nice place to escape the winter! There is a good mix of relaxing, sights, museums, and of course food 🙂
Wow, the gardens are absolutely gorgeous, and seem like an oasis on their own. If we ever make it down to Miami, we will have to check this out!
The gardens are so beautiful! Wouldn’t mind if my future backyard looked like that haha
I wanted to say “this is no Versailles”, but then I remembered Vizcaya is Italianate. From what I remember of formal gardens in Rome, Vizcaya’s is very much in line with the style. Low shrubbery, modest water features, and sculptures galore. I prefer the grander, lusher look of French gardens, but I will say the Barge, tea house, casino, and indoor/outdoor pool are very appealing. I’ll add those to my wish list whenever we can afford to renovate our “mansion-ette” 🙂
That is true Versailles had the very tall shrubs that were like a maze. I guess Deering had a smaller budget compared to Louis XIV haha. The waterfront is very nice and I wouldn’t mind the pool either. Perhaps I should focus on getting a house first 🙂
Absolutely lovely!❤️
Christie
I agree, such a lovely garden!
This is a gorgeous place 😍. Must have been quite an experience to visit it.
Such a great place to visit, I loved roaming the beautiful estate!
The gardens are beautiful! Looks like it wasn’t very busy.
The Italian gardens of Vizcaya are beautiful to look at and somewhat unexpected in the region. It is fortunate that they have been preserved and maintained so that public can enjoy them today.
Wow – not something I’d expect but I realise I actually know very little about Miami…. we’ve been to Florida yes but not this city…. You’re certainly doing a great job promoting it Lissy – it all looks great
This brought back some beautiful memories for me, when I visited Miami. This stately home was just a pleasure to explore. Thanks 🙂
What a beautiful place! I love the walls, gardens and water features!