Chatsworth

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Chatsworth is a large country house that is located in Derbyshire, England. It is the home of the Dukes of Devonshire. This magnificent house is filled with decoration consisting of paintings, fine pieces of furniture, and tapestries. It has 126 rooms with only a few seen by visitors to ensure the privacy of those living there. The interior is based on one main period with few alterations that have evolved through time. The most amazing part about Chatsworth the most famously visited gardens covering 105 acres. They include a unique blend of features from six different centuries.
Chatsworth house construction began in 1522 by Bess of Hardwick and Sir William Cavendish. When Bess of Hardwick died in 1608, Chatsworth was passed to her second son William Cavendish, who was created 1st Earl of Devonshire in 1618. He then began re-building the house in an Elizabethan courtyard plan, keeping the development of the architecture in an English Baroque style. The sculptural façade with ionic columns and heavy entablature created a dramatic approach.

By: Kaitlyn Davies