Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Coast View of Delos with Aeneas. The painting was inspired by a passage from the an-
cient Roman poet Virgil. It's no wonder a walk around the lake feels like stepping into a
beautiful landscape painting…pinch yourself; it's not a dream.
Stourhead's gardens and grounds are the show-stealer here, but there is also a Palladian
villa to tour. Construction of Stourhead house was begun by banker Henry Hoare in 1717,
and completed by his son, Henry Hoare II after his father's death in 1725. Father and son
employed architect Colen Campbell who designed Stourhead as a Venetian villa adapted
to an English setting.
Wings were added to the original structure in the late 1700s. The striking front of the
house is a 19 th century creation with portico and entry steps added in 1841. After a fire
gutted the house in 1902, the interior was rebuilt based on the original design. The estate
stayed in the Hoare family until 1946 when Henry Hugh Authur Hoare gave the house and
gardens to the National Trust.
Style notes
Modeled after 16 th century Venetian villas in the Palladian style.
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