{"id":1955,"date":"2015-01-15T10:01:30","date_gmt":"2015-01-15T15:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?p=1955"},"modified":"2025-04-18T10:27:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:27:04","slug":"hearst-castle-aflutter-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/hearst-castle-aflutter-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearst Castle is aflutter with flags"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hearst-Castle-(Photo-by-aut\"<\/a>
Hearst Castle’s palios wow visitors. (Photo by author)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tourists who make the long bus journey up a mountain near the Pacific Ocean in San Simeon, California, expect to see marvelous sights when they reach the Hearst Castle at the peak. Among those sights, they will be wowed by a room full of flags. Not new American flags, but ancient flags from Siena, a city in Italy.<\/p>\n

To reach the many structures that dot the grounds of the Castle, travelers first pass by some of William Randolph Hearst\u2019s other collections: herds of animals, including exotic breeds from around the world.<\/p>\n

\"Banners<\/a>
Banners are sold as souvenirs at modern palios.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Castle, which Hearst caused to be built \u2013 and re-built \u2013 over many years, using the fortunes he made from his newspaper empire and other sources, is famous for being a resort where Hollywood\u2019s elite gathered. It\u2019s also a storehouse of antiquities, including statues, paintings \u2013 and flags from Siena when it was a city-state.<\/p>\n

Siena is famous as the site of an annual festival, called Palio de Siena, which includes breakneck horse races through the main streets. They are held twice each summer in a continuation of a centuries-old tradition. According to the Palio\u2019s website, \u201cthe Sienese place their loyalty to their district above church or state. Fierce rivalries exist between the neighboring districts and all Sienese are united year round by their passion to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A-modern-banner-is-paraded-\"<\/a>
A modern banner is paraded before a recent palio in Siena.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The colorfully dressed riders launch their furious gallops along the cobblestones, but only after elaborately decorated and multi-colored flags that represent the 17 segments of the area are marched through the town. The rules require that the designs include religious symbolism and references to the part of the city they represent.<\/p>\n

The banners, called palios in Italian, are hand-painted on silk and highly prized by the neighborhoods of Siena. Their residents avidly cheer for their areas to win the races.<\/p>\n

\"Palios<\/a>
Palios fly above the dining room at the Hearst Castle. (Photo by author)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hearst<\/a>
Hearst Castle’s palios wow visitors. (Photo by author)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hearst, who collected antiques and artworks from around the globe, snatched up the medieval banners for his vast collections. Today, the originals are kept in a special room for preservation, but exact replicas<\/a> were made to decorate the Castle\u2019s dining room.<\/p>\n

For a century, the flags have hung over the heads of politicians, actors, industrialists and world leaders as one of the wealthiest men in the world courted their attention \u2013 and vice versa. Now, they are suspended over travelers who come to see how the other-half (or, perhaps, the other one-billionth) lived.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tourists who make the long bus journey up a mountain near the Pacific Ocean in San Simeon, California, expect to see marvelous sights when they reach the Hearst Castle at the peak. Among those sights, they will be wowed by a room full of flags. Not new American flags, but ancient flags from Siena, a… continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[258,260,261,259],"class_list":["post-1955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history-lessons","tag-hearst-castle","tag-palio-de-siena","tag-palios","tag-william-randolph-hearst"],"yoast_head":"\nHearst Castle is aflutter with flags<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tourists in San Simeon, California, expect to see marvelous sights at Hearst Castle. 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