Chiswick House is one of the finest examples of London's historic heritage.
Today, I'd like to take you on a journey of discovery.
Chiswick House: article summary
The history of Chiswick House
In the 18th century, Lord Richard Boyle was one of the most highly regarded figures in the worlds of art, architecture, landscaping and general culture from aristocratic culture.
Boyle owned large estates in Ireland and Yorkshire, as well as houses in Chiswick and London. He also had a successful political career in the early years of George I's reign.
In his early twenties, he undertook the common tradition of a Grand Tour, visiting a number of classic sites in Italy and Europe.
An Italian-inspired home
He fell deeply in love with Palladian architecture, inspired by the classical Italian facades he saw in Rome and Sicily, and set himself the task of recreating a grand Italian villa in London.
He modeled much of Chiswick's house on Villa Capra, one of Palladio's great buildings in Vicenza, but also drew inspiration from numerous great works of classical architecture, notably the Pantheon.
Building Chiswick House
The character of Chiswick House marked the dawn of a new era in British architecture, and was at the forefront of the neoclassical revival of a style pioneered in Rome by Palladio and the British architect Inigo Jones, whose classical style had fallen into disuse.
The building took three years to complete, and was built between 1727 and 1729. It's not really fair to call Chiswick House a house, as there are conflicting accounts as to whether it was intended to be used as such.
How to visit Chiswick House?
The tour of Chiswick House is self-guided, which is great, as it gives you plenty of time to admire the fabulous artwork on the walls as well as the building's sumptuous interiors.
Given the nature of the self-guided aspect, it's best to try and book your trip.
Each room has a set of beacons that you can scan with your handset, triggering the corresponding part of the audio tour!
Chiswick House: an immense collection
In addition to the architecture of the house itself, the Chiwick House boasts an incredible collection of oil paintings, sculptures and furniture masterpieces collected over its long history.
Like John Soane, Lord Burlington drew inspiration for his collection from his Grand Tour of Europe. The house's collection reflects the interests he developed during his travels around the Mediterranean basin.
Spend some time in the property's gardens
Orchestrated and designed by William Kent, these gardens are credited with revolutionizing urban green spaces and influencing everything from New York's Central Park to the gardens of the Buckingham Palace.
They were originally laid out to imitate the gardens found at Tivoli in Hadrian's Villa Adriana.
Originally, they were laid out as normal Jacobean gardens, but once Kent had carte blanche, he began to incorporate a variety of new and strange elements.
Getting to Chiswick House
If you're travelling to Chiswick House by public transport, you have a choice. You can take the train to Chiswick station.
You can also take the bus. Lines E3, 190 and 533 all stop within a 2-minute walk of the doors.
For those who want to travel by metro, the nearest station is Turnham Green.
Opening hours and ticketing
Chiswick House and garden open :
- Thursday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in spring and summer
How much does admission cost??
Ticket prices for the house and garden are as follows:
- 11 £ per adult
- 5,50 £ for children aged 5 and over
Chiswick House is an interesting place to visit. On your next visit to London, I advise you to get out there and enjoy the place.
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