WHAT'S NEW? UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEW ADDITIONS TO THE MUSEUM
We invite all of our website visitors to checkout this page periodically for the latest in Villa Zorayda news and upcoming events.
February 15, 2010 we celebrated our 2 year anniversay after being closed for 8 years of restoration. Alot has been accomplished during these past 2 years. Additional pieces from the Villa's past continued to be restored and put on display. Five months after reopening our self-guided audio tours were introduced in English and Spanish so that guests could come at anytime and take a tour of the museum at their own pace. The past couple of months we have been working on adding French to our audio guides. We are pleased to announce that the French version of the tour has been completed and added to our audio guides. Guests can now enjoy the tour in English, Spanish and French as we continue to make the tour of the museum available and enjoyable for more and more visitors.
The museum is pleased to announce the recent addition of an original work of art, a signed Felix de Crano oil on canvas dated 1900 and titled, "Alhambra Beauty" (see picture below). Felix de Crano was part of an elite group of artists, invited by Henry Flagler, to paint in studios in the Ponce de Leon Hotel know as "Artists Row." There the artists would paint and exhibit their works of art to be sold to the wealthy patrons of the hotel. The painting is now on exhibit at the museum. Felix de Crano also built a home here in St. Augustine, known as "The Shingles."
WEDDING CEREMONIES
Summer of 2009 the Villa became St. Augustine's newest venue for Grand Gilded Age Wedding Ceremonies! Held in "The Court of Lions" surrounded by elegant columns and beautiful Moorish horseshoe arches, the most Romantic wedding ceremonies can now become a reality. The Villa has partnered with The Wedding Authority to handle all of the details for the wedding ceremony of your dreams. Please see our page on Wedding Ceremonies for additional information.
EVENING FUNCTIONS
The Villa Zorayda is now available for private functions in the evening. From elegant cocktail parties for groups up to 60 people or small intimate dinner parties for up to 30 people the Villa is the perfect place for a one-of-a-kind evening event. Add a docent led tour of the museum and your evening will be truly magical. ROMANZA BEGINS AT ZORAYDA On March 19, 2010, authors, musicians and artists gathered at the Villa Zorayda for a book signing and silent auction. More than 200 people attended the event to benefit Romanza, a festival of music, arts, theater, and dance planned for the celebration of the city's 450th anniversary.
