If you’ve ever walked into a sun-drenched villa and immediately felt like ordering an Aperol Spritz, chances are you were standing in a Mediterranean Revival masterpiece! This architectural style fuses Italian, Spanish, Moorish, and French influences.
And it became – wildly – popular in the early 20th century. So much so, that once you learn to recognise it, you’ll see it’s still the blueprint for luxury today. Here are three buildings that absolutely define the genre and prove just how rich Mediterranean design can be.
The Bellagio – Las Vegas Glamour Meets Lake Como Sophistication
Opened in 1998, the Bellagio is the youngest property on this list, but it’s no less architecturally significant. Inspired by the town of Bellagio on Lake Como, the resort is a masterclass in Mediterranean Revival design. Its cream stucco façades, arching colonnades, tiled roofs, and classical fountains are all textbook nods to northern Italy.
The Grand Conservatory and Botanical Gardens change five times a year! Each of them is home to thousands of fresh flowers and sculpted displays. Dale Chihuly’s 2,000-piece blown-glass ceiling in the lobby evokes a Renaissance chapel crossed with a modern art installation. That same attention to visual drama has made its way into the digital realm too.
This location has become so iconic that there is now a Live Bellagio Roulette game on the internet. This lets players enjoy the ambience of this pristine setting from home. It’s one such occasion where playing roulette online feels genuinely luxurious, thanks to a real-time connection to an actual casino floor, framed by elegant décor and soft lighting that mirrors the Bellagio’s signature style.
Still, the actual location can never truly be replicated, and is always worth a visit if you get the opportunity.
Villa Vizcaya – Miami’s Original Slice of the Italian Coast
Built between 1914 and 1922 for industrialist James Deering, Villa Vizcaya is a full-blown love letter to the Italian Renaissance. Perched right on Biscayne Bay, the villa was inspired by 16th-century villas in northern Italy, but cleverly executed with Miami’s tropical climate in mind. The architect, F. Burrall Hoffman, combined Mediterranean Revival style with Baroque and Rococo flourishes.
It might sound like a lot, but this is Miami! He managed to pull off a building that was both historically informed and utterly, devastatingly theatrical.
The estate’s façade features stucco walls, loggias, and classical balustrades, but the real showstopper is the interior. Here, you’ll find gilded ceilings, practically shipped whole from Tuscany, marble fireplaces from France, and antique doors salvaged from actual European monasteries. Even the gardens follow European traditions, with parterres, fountains, and a barge sculpture moored in the bay.
Hearst Castle – California’s Most Extravagant Patchwork
Villa Vizcaya has been accused of being a little over the top, but think of it like this: if Villa Vizcaya is a little dramatic, Hearst Castle is 100% unrepentant grandeur. Built for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947, this San Simeon estate was a true passion project. Architect Julia Morgan blended Spanish Colonial Revival and Mediterranean Revival elements to craft what is essentially one man’s private palace.
The estate spans over 90,000 square feet, with 165 rooms, 127 acres of gardens, and not one but two jaw-dropping pools. The first is the outdoor Neptune Pool, lined with Roman columns; the second is the indoor Roman Pool, decorated with thousands of Murano glass tiles.
The architecture is deliberately eclectic, incorporating Gothic ceilings from Spanish cathedrals, Italian stonework, and even ancient Roman artifacts. It’s maximalist, but in a way that quietly lets you know ‘you can’t afford this’. Hearst Castle feels like every European grand tour destination, blissfully rolled into one.
