Villa Finale
Villa Finale, a National Trust Historic Site
The faithful restoration of this limestone 1876 Italianate mansion served as a catalyst for the revitalization of the San Antonio’s King William District. Learn More
An Impressive Collection
The mansion is filled with an impressive collection of items, including Napoleon memorabilia, European furniture, and fine and decorative arts. Learn More
Villa Finale, originally built in 1876, was restored in the late 1960s by preservation visionary Walter Mathis, who lived in the home until his death in 2005. The preservation of Villa Finale led the way for the revitalization of the beautiful and stately King William neighborhood, a National Historic District. Today, Villa Finale houses the extraordinary collection of Mr. Mathis, which includes Napoleonic materials; art and furniture from Texas artists; and American and European fine and decorative arts.
Villa Finale is under development and is not currently open to the public at this time. Keep track of their renovation process on their blog.
Villa Finale is owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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From Villa Finale's Blog
Experience the restoration of Villa Finale in progress!
Experience the restoration of Villa Finale in progress!
For a limited time, Villa Finale is offering the opportunity to visit Walter Mathis’s home before it opens to the public in October 2010. Visitors will see the restoration in progress, and will learn technical details of the project as well as philosophical approaches from the Villa Finale [...]
A New Year A New Beginning
This new year promises to bring a new beginning to Villa Finale, starting with the commencement of construction at 401 King William in early January. Updates are to be made to the interior and exterior of this historic house but it won’t stop there. As the Landscape Technician for the grounds, I am pleased and excited to [...]
HAVE A MERRY little CHRISTMAS!
The holidays are now in full swing in San Antonio. The Riverwalk is all lit up, the houses in King William are decked out, and so much more! There are also other “little” traditions around the city … literally! Last year we highlighted the gingerbread house at the Guenther House Restaurant which is located just a [...]
Houston, Part One, Land of Museums
Last week and over the weekend I attended the 2nd Biennial David B. Warren Symposium. The title is quite a mouthful: American Material Culture and the Texas Experience: Art and Archtitecture before 1900 in Texas, the South, and the Southwest. In an nutshell, it was a three day symposium organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, [...]
A Grand Opening..albeit damp.
On Wednesday, October 21st, at 5-ish, the Villa Finale Visitor Center opened to the public with a lovely ceremony, fabulous and touching remarks and delicious food and drink provided by gracious donors. I cannot forget the torrent that occured during the most important bits, but it really didn’t (excuse the cliche) dampen any spirits.
I was [...]
