Mansion 557698 224296768 2008-07-08T05:51:46Z VoABot II 1879647 BOT - Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/71.107.142.108|71.107.142.108]] {[[User:VoABot_II/Help#Revert_reasons|possible vandalism]]} ([[User:VoABot_II/Mistakes|mistake?]]) to last version by "Mrschimpf". {{Unreferenced|date=June 2007}} [[Image:Dutch-Mansion.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A Mansion near [[Almelo]], [[The Netherlands]]]] A '''mansion''' is a large dwelling [[house]]. The word itself derives (through [[Old French]]) from the [[Latin]] 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]], or ''via'', where cities sprang up, and where the [[villa]]s of provincial officials came to be placed. The [[Scots language|Scots]] word "[[manse]]" originally defined a property large enough for the [[Minister (Christianity)|Minister]] of the parish to maintain himself, but a mansion is no longer self-sustaining in this way (compare a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] or [[medieval]] [[villa]]). 'Manor' comes from the same root — territorial holdings granted to a lord who would ''remain'' there — hence it can be seen how the word 'Mansion' came to have its meaning. ==History== The "[[country house]]," as it is known in English speaking places, is a distinct species of mansion. In the past, it was fashionable for the elite society of [[Europe]] to pursue the social circuit from country home to country home, with intervals at town homes{{Fact|date=March 2008}}, so unfortified country houses supplanted castles and the modern mansion began to evolve. [[Image:The Breakers rear.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[The Breakers]], in [[Newport, Rhode Island]], is one of the most famous 19th century mansions in the [[United States]].]] It was in the 16th century that mansions really began to be built in a completely unfortified and gracious style{{Fact|date=March 2008}}, with gardens, parks, and drives. This was the era of [[Renaissance architecture]]. [[Hatfield House]] is a superb example of a house built during the transition period in England{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. In [[Italy]], classic [[villa]]s such as [[Villa Farnese]] and [[Villa Giulia]] were typical{{Fact|date=March 2008}}, albeit individually diverse forms, of the new style of mansion. The uses of these edifices paralleled that of the Roman mansions. It was vital for powerful people and families to keep in social contact with each other as they were the primary moulders of society. The rounds of visits and entertainments were an essential part of the societal process, as painted in the novels of [[Jane Austen]]. State business was often discussed and determined in informal settings. Times of revolution reversed this value. During its [[revolution]], France lost a large part of its country homes to incendiary committees, who destroyed the estates as a reaction to/rejection of the ancien régime. Until [[World War II]] it was not unusual for a moderately sized mansion in [[England]] such as [[Cliveden]] to have an indoor staff of 20 and an outside staff of the same size{{Fact|date=March 2008}}, and in [[ducal]] mansions such as [[Chatsworth House]] the numbers could be far higher. In the great houses of Italy, the number of retainers was often even greater than in England; whole families plus extended relations would often inhabit [[warren]]s of rooms in basements and attics. It is doubtful that a 19th century [[Marchesa]] would even know the exact number of individuals who served her. Most [[Europe]]an mansions also were the hub of vast [[Estate (house)|estate]]s. A true estate (the mediaeval villa, French ''ville'') always contains at least one complete [[village]] and its [[church]]. Large estates such as that of [[Woburn Abbey]] have several villages attached. [[Image:Montacute House Yeovil.gif|thumb|right|300px|[[Montacute House]], near [[Yeovil]], [[Somerset]]. Built 1591]] == Nineteenth century development == The 19th century saw particularly in the [[United Kingdom]] a new type of mansion being built, often smaller than the older [[Europe]]an mansions, but in their own way just as beautiful{{Fact|date=March 2008}}, [[The Breakers]] in [[Rhode Island]] is a fine example, as is the nearby, but completely different, [[Watts Sherman House]]. [[5th Avenue|Fifth Avenue]] in [[New York]] at this time was lined with numerous mansions, designed by the leading architects of the day, many in European [[Gothic architecture|gothic]] 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]] to rival, in the architectural sense, any in [[Paris]], [[London]] or [[Rome]]—where the many large mansions and [[palazzo]]s built or remodeled during this era still survive. Mansions built in the countryside were not spared either. One of the most spectacular estates of the U.S., [[Whitemarsh Hall]], was demolished in 1980, along with its extensive gardens, to make way for suburban developments. Even in Europe some 19th-century mansions were often built as replicas of older houses, the [[Château de Ferrières]] in [[France]] was inspired by [[Mentmore Towers]] which in turn is a copy of [[Wollaton Hall]]. 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 [[Italy|Italian]] [[Renaissance]] [[Palazzo]]; [[Waddesdon Manor]] in [[Buckinghamshire]] is a faithful mixture of various [[France|French]] [[château]]x. One of the most enduring and most frequently copied styles for a mansion is the [[palladian]] - particularly so in the 18th century. However, the [[Gothic architecture|gothic]] style was probably the most popular choice of design in the 19th century. The most [[bizarre]] example of this was probably [[Fonthill Abbey]] which actually set out to imitate the mansions which had truly evolved from [[mediaeval]] gothic [[abbey]]s following the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] in the 16th century. 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]]s, which enabled them to leave the [[city]] more easily{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. Before this era most owners of mansions were the old [[aristocracy]]{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. ==Latin America== [[Image:estancia-saneugenio-uruguay.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Estancia]] in [[Uruguay]] around 1880]] In Latin America, with its [[feudal]] [[colonial]] and post-colonial past, the grand [[rural]] [[Estate (land)|estate]], the [[Hacienda]], Estancia, in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] speaking [[Brazil]] Fazenda or Estância, 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 [[Portugal]] and [[Spain]] as the colonial (or former colonial) powers were the eminent models for architecture and upperclass lifestyle, towards the end of the 19th century they were sometimes replaced by then more dominant powers like [[France]] or [[England]]. In comparably developed, densely populated countries like Mexico, feudal estates and their mansions were as grand and stately as in the [[Mediterranean]] old world, whereas where estates were founded in the sparsely populated remote areas like the Pampa of [[Argentina]] or [[Uruguay]], 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 lookout or tower, see also [[Belvedere]]) In Venezuela, the traditional Spanish Mansion with the garden in the center of the property are usually referred as "Quinta". == The "modern" mansion == [[Image:Larnach Castle.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Larnach Castle]], [[Dunedin]], [[New Zealand]]]] 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 [[Conservatory (greenhouse)|greenhouse]], while others will have an [[infinity pool]] or a [[home theatre]]. Some 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 room to house a private [[library]] or [[office]], while at the beginning of the 21st century the presence of a room designed for a [[home theatre]] or [[movie theater|cinema]] is a must. Most recently, mansions have been built with integrated [[domotics]]. A [[McMansion]] (a term that originated in North America in the 1980s) is often a speculatively-built, [[suburban]] house that incorporates numerous design features on a floor plan of 2,000 to 3,500 square feet. They are typically built from standard plans with some cosmetic detailing and design changes available to the buyer{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. In contrast, a "real" mansion is normally designed by an [[architect]] to the exact needs of the [[client]]s, is significantly larger (typically, a minimum of 6,000 square feet), and contains many more features and creature comforts; however, the house does not need to be this size to be considered a mansion{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. It may just simply contain many of the features that come with a mansion. 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{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. The homes and mansions designed by the late [[Richard Neutra]] and [[Quinlan Terry]] are good examples of modern designs which have been nearly perfectly tailored to fit a particular customer{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. 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 surrounded by large houses on a single plot. ==See also== * [[castle]] * [[chateau]] * [[estancia]] * [[hacienda]] * [[manor]] * [[palace]] * [[villa]] ==External links== {{Wiktionary}} *[http://www.colonial-estates.pvoss.de Historic Mansions and Estates in Latin America] *[http://www.mois.ee/english/ Estonian Manors Portal] the English version introduces 438 well-preserved historical manors (mansions, estates) in Estonia *[http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Mansion "Mansion" in 1911 Britannica] [[Category:House types]] [[de:Villa]] [[es:Mansión]] [[fr:Manoir]] [[nl:Villa]] [[pl:Dwór]] [[pt:Mansão]] [[fi:Kartano]] [[sv:Herrgård]]