I took a drive down to Miami to see Villa Vizcaya and the mermaid sculptures there.
It is a pretty amazing place. Created in 1916 by agricultural industrialist James Deering, it was designed and built to look like a 400-year old Italian villa. The villa – a mansion really – is gorgeous, and the gardens are immaculate and beautiful.
The property is built right next to the water, and while it is somewhat protected against the direct impact of weather and waves from the Atlantic, it is still directly on the coast and fairly exposed. To protect the property and the gardens, a breakwater was created about 50′ out from the water’s edge, in the shape of a stone barge, with sculptures carved into the bow and stern and on the deck above. This includes 4 mermaids, 3 of which also have wings, which possibly makes them “mermaid angels”.
Have a look here.
