'La Cuesta Encantada'-'The Enchanted Hill' (aka. Hearst Castle) was built on a 250,000 acre (1000 kmē) ranch William Randolph Hearst inherited from his mother in 1919. Construction began that same year and continued through 1947, when he stopped living at the estate due to ill health. Hearst was an inveterate tinkerer, and would tear down structures and rebuild them at a whim, so the estate was never completed in his lifetime.

The estate is a pastiche of historic architectural styles... the main house is modeled after a 16th century Spanish cathedral, while the outdoor pool features an ancient Roman temple front transported wholesale from Europe and reconstructed at the site. Hearst furnished the estate with truckloads of art, antiques, and even whole ceilings that he acquired en masse from Europe and Egypt. Hearst Castle was like a small self-contained city, with 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a movie theater, an airfield, and the world's largest private zoo. Zebras and other exotic animals still roam the grounds. Some of the highlights of the estate include the Neptune Pool, which features an expansive vista of the mountains, ocean and the main house.

(source-wikipedia)