A Royal Getaway

Visiting Biltmore – an American Castle

By Lyn Mettler

Vanderbilt was an avid collector, and some of his more impressive collections displayed in the house include several 16th-century Flemish tapestries, thousands of prints and 10,000 books in his massive library. He also owned a chess set once belonging to Napoleon and hangings made for Cardinal Richelieu, the 17th-century French statesman, both on display in the house.

Highlights of the home include a beautiful 18th-century ceiling painting, which once graced the ceiling of the Pisani Palace in Venice. The Chariot of Aurora by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini was moved in 13 pieces into the library of the Biltmore and creates the illusion of an open sky.

Perhaps one of the most amazing rooms and the largest in the house is the medieval-style Banquet Hall. With 70-foot-high ceilings and a triple fireplace, the room is modeled after the Great Halls of Europe.

Be sure not to miss the 50-foot-long tile work pool and the bowling alley (yes, bowling was all the rage in the 1800s) in the basement, which also houses a whole other world of kitchens, the laundry and living quarters for the employees.

But my favorite part of the home is the backdrop. Nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the views are spectacular. Glance out any window or take a break on one of the many verandas or the gorgeous prgola shaded by a thick ceiling of vines, and you have instant serenity.

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