Located on the coast of California, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Hearst Castle is now a national landmark mansion. The man who owned this gigantic property before, William Randolph Hearst, was not only a newspaper magnate, but also an important figure in politics, Hollywood, and the world of art in the twentieth century. At the age of 10, he toured through Europe with his mother, and since childhood he was already impressed with the European architecture, which resulted in his ambition to pursue this architectural endeavors in American history.

The first time I visited Hearst Castle was long before I started travelling to Europe. And, in the fall of 2010, I visited Hearst Castle for the seond time. All the castles from various countries and various centuries all have their own styles and characters, but what made this American castle extraordinary was that it was designed and built by Julia Morgan, a petite lady who was a civil engineer and architect. It is very unusual even in today's society, not to mention back then when it was built (1919 - 1947). For the medieval period, I would imagine it was impossible.

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