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Mansion

A mansion is a large and stately dwelling house House

People construct houses as dwelling-spaces for human habitation.... 

 for the wealthy. The word itself derives from the Latin Latin

Latin is an ancient Indo-European language [i] originally spoken in Latium [i], ... 

 word mansus the perfect passive participle of manere "to remain" or "to stay". In the Roman Empire, a mansio was an official stopping place on a Roman road Roman road

The Roman road [i]s were essential for the growth of their empire [i], by enabling them to ... 

, or via, where cities sprang up, and where the villas of provincial officials came to be placed. The English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 word "manse" originally defined a property large enough for the parish priest to maintain himself, but a mansion is no longer self-sustaining in this way . 'Manor' comes from the same root— territorial holdings granted to a lord who would remain there— hence it is easy to see how the word 'Mansion' came to have its meaning.

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A mansion is a large and stately dwelling house House

People construct houses as dwelling-spaces for human habitation.... 

 for the wealthy. The word itself derives from the Latin Latin

Latin is an ancient Indo-European language [i] originally spoken in Latium [i], ... 

 word mansus the perfect passive participle of manere "to remain" or "to stay". In the Roman Empire, a mansio was an official stopping place on a Roman road Roman road

The Roman road [i]s were essential for the growth of their empire [i], by enabling them to... 

, or via, where cities sprang up, and where the villas of provincial officials came to be placed. The English English language

English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

 word "manse" originally defined a property large enough for the parish priest to maintain himself, but a mansion is no longer self-sustaining in this way . 'Manor' comes from the same root— territorial holdings granted to a lord who would remain there— hence it is easy to see how the word 'Mansion' came to have its meaning.

History


The very first 'mansions', as we understand the term, were probably the villas built for the provincial ruling class of the Roman Empire Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman [i] civilization characterized by an autocratic [i] ... 

. As one might expect, they were placed at strategic points on a Roman road, which often grew into provincial towns. Mansions were large buildings or complexes of buildings, often with official functions, placed in full public view.

Within a Roman city, on the other hand, patrician dwellings might be very extensive, but they rarely identified their grandeur to the street, beyond the public amenity of a sheltered portico Portico

A portico is a porch [i] or walkway with a roof supported by column [i]s, often leading to the entrance ... 

. For example, Nero's Domus Aurea Domus Aurea

The Domus Aurea was a large palace built by the Roman emperor [i] Nero [i] after the fire [i] ... 

 on the Palatine Hill, Rome Rome

Rome is the capital [i] of Italy [i] and of its region, called Latium [i]. ... 

 was organized as a series of glittering pavilions in gardens. It, however, was not a mansion. From architectural uses of that hill comes the word, palace Palace

In English [i] a palace is the home of a head of state [i] or other high-ranking public figure [i] ... 

.

Following the fall of Rome the practice of building unfortified villas ceased, and we lost mansions for a time. The building most suitable for the troubled times in which the leaders of nations found themselves was the castle or chateau Château

A chteau is a manor house [i] or residence of the lord of the manor [i] or a country house of nobility [i] ... 

, from Latin castellum. In effect, the leadership moved from the way station to the fortified camp.

Today, many of the oldest inhabited mansions around the world began their existence as fortified castle Castle

A castle is a structure that is fortified for defence against an enemy and generally serves as a milita... 

s in the Middle Ages Middle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history [i] ... 

. As social conditions slowly changed and stabilised fortification Fortification

Fortifications are military [i] construction [i]s and building [i]s designed for defense [i] in ... 

s were able to be reduced, and over the centuries gave way to comfort. Castles were abandoned in favor of stately country homes. Today the fortified homes litter the countryside or have been turned into museums to help pay for their upkeep. It became fashionable for the elite society of Europe to pursue the social circuit from country home to country home, with intervals at town homes. Thus a nice home in the country was once again a mansion, or "stopping place" and the modern mansion began to evolve.


It was in the 16th century 16th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 16th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

 that mansions really began to be built in a completely unfortified and gracious style, with gardens, parks and drives. This was the era of Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture

Renaissance Architecture: Between the 14th and the 16th Centuries there was the stirrings of a new cultu... 

. Hatfield House Hatfield House

Hatfield House is a country house [i] set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of the to ... 

 is a superb example of a house built during the transition period in England. In Italy Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European [i] country. ... 

 classic villas such as Villa Farnese Villa Farnese

The Villa Farnese, also known as Palazzo Farnese or Villa Caprarola, is a mansion [i] in the ... 

 and Villa Giulia Villa Giulia

The Villa Giulia is a villa built by Pope Julius III [i], on the edge of the city of Rome [i], in 1550&n ... 

 were typical, but individually diverse forms, of the new style of mansion.

The reasons for building and owning these magnificent edifices were parallel to the Roman uses, nor was this an unintentional effect. It was extremely important for powerful people and families to keep in social contact with each other, as they were the primary molders of society in these times before democracy was able to reemerge. The rounds of visits and entertainments were an essential part of the societal process. The novels of Jane Austen Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English [i] novelist [i].... 

 paint an informal picture of it. State business was often discussed and determined in informal settings. Human nature being what it is, there probably was also a motive of providing the owner with an obvious status symbol Status symbol

A status symbol is something, usually an expensive or rare object, that indicates a high social status [i] ... 

. And yet, as Charles II of England Charles II of England

Charles II was the King of England [i], King of Scots [i], and King of Ireland [i] from 30 January [i] ... 

 discovered during his restoration English Restoration

The English Restoration or simply Restoration was an episode in the history of England [i] beginni ... 

, the ordinary people typically expected and demanded such symbols, and would accept nothing less! Times of revolution reversed this value. During its revolution, France lost a large part of its country homes to incendiary committees, who removed them from the future heritage of the country in anger.

Until World War II World War II

World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide [i] conflict [i] fought betwe ... 

 it was not unusual for a moderately sized mansion in England England

England is the largest and most populous constituent country [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 such as Cliveden Cliveden

Cliveden is a mansion [i] in Buckinghamshire [i], England [i] overlooking the River Thames [i]. ... 

 to have an indoor staff of 20 and an outside staff of the same size, while, in a ducal mansion such as Chatsworth House Chatsworth House

[i] in [[Derbyshire]... 

 the numbers were far higher. In the great houses of Italy, the number of retainers employed to staff them was often even greater than in England, whole families plus extended relations would often inhabit warrens of rooms in basements and attics. It is doubtful that a 19th century Marchesa would even know the exact numbers who served her. Most European mansions also were the hub of vast estates. A true estate always contains at least one complete village Village

A village is a human residential settlement [i] commonly found in rural [i] areas.... 

 and its church. Large estates such as that of Woburn Abbey Woburn Abbey

Woburn Abbey, near Woburn [i] in Bedfordshire [i], is the seat of the Duke of Bedford [i] ... 

 have several villages attached.


Defining a mansion

In Europe Europe

Europe is one of the seven traditional continent [i]s of the Earth [i]. ... 

 mansions are often given various titles, hinting at their origins - castle Castle

A castle is a structure that is fortified for defence against an enemy and generally serves as a milita... 

, palace Palace

In English [i] a palace is the home of a head of state [i] or other high-ranking public figure [i] ... 

, manor Manor house

A manor house or fortified manor-house is a country house [i], which has historically formed the c ... 

, tower Tower

A tower is a tall man-made structure, always taller than it is wide, and usually much higher.... 

s, and grange to name but a few. Some such as Sir John Vanbrugh John Vanbrugh

Sir [i] John Vanbrugh was an English [i] architect [i] and dramatist [i], perhaps bes... 

's Castle Howard Castle Howard

Castle Howard is a stately home [i] in Yorkshire [i], England [i], 25 mile [i]s north of York [i]. ... 

 and Edwin Lutyens Edwin Lutyens

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, OM [i], KCIE [i] was a leading 20t ... 

's Castle Drogo Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo is a country house [i] near Drewsteignton [i], Devon [i], England [i]. ... 

 were built centuries after the last real castle was considered necessary. The term 'palace' in England is reserved to a mansion which is the London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 residence of a member of the Royal Family Royal family

A royal family is the extended family of a monarch [i]. ... 

 or an episcopal Episcopal Church in the United States of America

The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, or as it is also known, The Episcopa... 

 seat in a cathedral Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian [i] church [i] building, specifically of a denomination with an... 

 city. One exception is the great country house Country house

A country house is a large dwelling [i], such as a mansion [i], located on a country [i] estate [i] ... 

 Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace is a large and monument [i]al country house [i] situated in Woodstock [i] ... 

 in Oxfordshire Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in south-east [i] England [i], bordering on Northamptonshire [i] ... 

. In the Netherlands a palace is always connected to a member of the royal family. In the rest of Europe however a palace can be just a medium sized town mansion owned by anybody. In London, Mansion House Mansion House, London

Mansion House is the official residence [i] of the Lord Mayor of the City of London [i]. ... 

 is the official residence of the Lord Mayor.

There is no strict definition of how many rooms a house has to have before it can be termed a mansion, but realtors generally use the classification for houses with at least 8,000 square feet of floorspace. Until the mid 20th century 20th century

The 20th century started on 1 January [i] 1901 [i] and ended on 31 December [i] 2000 [i], according to t... 

 the European mansion would often have a hall, two or three salons or drawing rooms, library, billiards room, ball room, dining room, breakfast room, morning room, study and numerous bedrooms. Until the middle of the last century European mansions were often short of bathrooms, often only two or three in a house of 20 plus bedrooms. In addition to the principal bedrooms would be far more for the staff usually on the uppermost or attic floors.

In London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

, the "mansion blocks" of the late 19th and early 20th centuries are up-market apartment buildings with the exterior design of a mansion.

In Japan Japan

is an island country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

, a mansion is doublespeak for a condominium.

For a discussion of the household of a mansion, see great house.

Nineteenth century development

The 19th century 19th century

The 19th century lasted from 1801 [i] through 1900 [i] in the Gregorian calendar [i].
... 

 saw particularly in the U.S.A United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 a new type of mansion being built, often smaller than the older European mansions, but in their own way just as beautiful, The Breakers The Breakers

The Breakers is located on Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island [i], on the Atlantic Ocean [i].. ... 

 in Rhode Island Rhode Island

The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the smallest state [i] by land area ... 

 is a fine example, as is the nearby, but completely different, Watts Sherman House.

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)

Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the center of the borough [i] of Manhattan [i] in New York City [i] ... 

 in New York New York

New York is a state [i] in the northeastern [i] United States [i]. ... 

 at this time was lined with numerous mansions, designed by the leading architects of the day, many in European gothic Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture [i], particularly associated with cathedral [i]s and othe ... 

 styles, built by the many families who were making their fortunes, and thus achieving their social aspirations, in the mid 19th century. However, nearly all of these have now been demolished, thus depriving New York of a boulevard Boulevard

Boulevard has several generally accepted meanings.... 

 to rival, in the architectural sense, any in Paris Paris

native_name = Ville de Paris
|common_name = Paris
... 

, London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 or Rome Rome

Rome is the capital [i] of Italy [i] and of its region, called Latium [i]. ... 

—where the many large mansions and palazzos built or remodelled during this era still survive.


Even in Europe some 19th-century mansions were often built as replicas of older houses, the Château de Ferrières Château de Ferrières

... 

 in France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

 was inspired by Mentmore Towers Mentmore Towers

Mentmore Towers is a large Neo-Renaissance [i] English country house [i] in the village of Mentmore [i] ... 

 which in turn is a copy of Wollaton Hall Wollaton Hall

Wollaton Hall is a country house [i] in Wollaton [i], Nottingham [i], England [i] completed in 1588 [i]... 

. Other mansions were built in the new and innovative styles of the new era such as the arts and crafts style: The Breakers is a pastiche of an Italian Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European [i] country. ... 

 Renaissance Renaissance

In the traditional view, the Renaissance was understood as a historical age in Europe [i] that follo ... 

 Palazzo; Waddesdon Manor Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor is a country house [i] in the village of Waddesdon [i], in Buckinghamshire [i] ... 

 in Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire is a county in South East England [i]. ... 

 is a faithful mixture of various French France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

 château Château

A chteau is a manor house [i] or residence of the lord of the manor [i] or a country house of nobility [i] ... 

x. One of the most enduring and most frequently copied styles for a mansion is the palladian Palladian architecture

Palladian architecture is a Europe [i]an style of architecture [i] derived from the designs of the Italian [i] ... 

 - particularly so in the 18th century 18th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 18th century refers to the century [i] that las ... 

. However, the gothic Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture [i], particularly associated with cathedral [i]s and othe ... 

 style was probably the most popular choice of design in the 19th century. The most bizarre example of this was probably Fonthill Abbey Fonthill Abbey

Fonthill Abbey — also known as Beckford's Folly — was a large Gothic-style building bu... 

 which actually set out to imitate the mansions which had truly evolved from mediaeval Middle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history [i] ... 

 gothic abbey Abbey

An abbey , is a Christian [i] monastery [i] or convent, under the government of ... 

s following the Dissolution of the Monasteries Dissolution of the Monasteries

The Dissolution of the Monasteries, referred to by Roman Catholic [i] writers as the Suppression of t ... 

 in the 16th century 16th century

As a means of recording the passage of time [i], the 16th century was that century [i] which lasted from ... 

.

Mansions built during and after the 19th century seldom were supported by the large estates of their predecessors. These new mansions were often built as the week-end retreats of businessmen who commuted to their offices by the new railway Rail transport

Rail transport is the transport [i] of passenger [i]s and goods [i] along railways or ... 

s, which enabled them to leave the city City

A city is an urban area [i] that is differentiated from a town [i], village [i], or hamlet [i] ... 

 more easily. Before this era most owners of mansions were the old aristocracy.

Latin America

In Latin America, with its feudal colonial and post-colonial past, the grand rural estate, the Hacienda Hacienda

Hacienda is a Spanish [i] word describing a vast ranch [i], common in the Pampa [i].
... 

 or Estancia with the mansion as its stately center, is a characteristic feature.

Naturally mansions followed European architectural styles.
Whereas until the second half of the 19th century Spain and Portugal as the colonial powers were the eminent models for architecture and upperclass lifestyle, towards the end of the 19th century they were being replaced by then more dominant powers like France or England.

In comparably developed, densely populated countries like Mexico, feudel estates and their mansions were as grand and stately as in the old world, whereas where estates were founded in the sparsely populated remote aereas like the Pampa of Argentina Argentina

Argentina is a country in southern South America [i]. ... 

 or Uruguay Uruguay

Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay , i... 

, where iron pillars, doors, windows, furniture had to be brought from Europe by ship and afterwards oxcart, buildings were smaller, but normally still aspiring to evoke a stately impression, often featuring the Mirador

The modern mansion

Mansions built during the last and present centuries usually have specially designed rooms meant to accommodate leisure activities of a particular kind. Many will have a conservatory or greenhouse Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a building where plants are cultivated.... 

, while others will have an indoor swimming pool Swimming pool

A swimming pool, swimming bath [i], or wading pool is an artificially enclosed body ... 

 or an Arts and crafts room with huge North oriented windows. Others will have all of these features. The relative importance of these specially designed rooms changes with the times: At the beginning of the 20th century no true mansion would have been built without a large room to house a private library Library

In the traditional sense of the word, a library is a collection of book [i]s and periodicals. ... 

, while at the beginning of the 21st century the presence of a big room designed for a home theatre Home cinema

Home cinema, also called home theater, seeks to reproduce cinema [i] quality video a ... 

 or cinema Movie theater

A movie theater or cinema is a venue, usually a building, for viewing movie [i]s. ... 

 is a must. Most recently, mansions have been built with integrated domotics.

A McMansion McMansion

McMansion is a slang architectural [i] term which first came into use in the United States [i] ... 

  is often a speculatively-built, suburban Suburb

Suburbs are inhabited districts located either inside a town or city [i]'s outer rim or just outside its ... 

 house that incorporates numerous upscale design features on a floor plan of 2000 to 5000 square feet. They are typically built from standard plans with some cosmetic detailing and design changes available to the buyer. In contrast, a "real" mansion is normally designed by an architect Architect

An architect is a person involved in the planning [i], designing [i] and oversight of a building's [i] ... 

 to the exact needs of the clients, is significantly larger , and contains many more features and creature comforts.

The costly time spent by an experienced architect is a better indicator of the lasting status of a mansion than the number of its rooms, its total size, or its special amenities. The homes and mansions designed by the late Richard Neutra Richard Neutra

Richard Joseph Neutra is considered one of modernism [i]'s most important architect [i]s.
... 

 and Quinlan Terry are good examples of modern designs which have been nearly perfectly tailored to fit a particular customer.

A modern mansion today may not necessarily be limited to a single house standing alone. Compounds, or a grouping of larger houses have become more popular. The Kennedy Compound is an example of one family building large houses on a single plot.

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