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The building is built in the neo-classical style with many features found in ancient Greek and Roman buildings. This style of architecture was famous in the 1800s. Many other state capitol and federal buildings were designed in this style. The capitol building of Virginia, Massachusetts and the nation’s capitol in Washington D.C., all have similar features as California State Capitol building.

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In June 2015, the Young Christopher Columbus statue, has been replaced with Ronald Reagan statue. The bronze Reagan statue is by sculptor Douglas Van Howd, a close friend of Reagan who served as White House artist during his administration. The Columbus statue is now in storage but may soon move to the State Library.

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DOUBLE DOMES: The building has double domes. The interior of the dome employs iron frame construction, allowing the exterior copper dome to rise above Capitol Park and the Sacramento skyline.

ROTUNDA: The heart of the California State Capitol is the Rotunda. This circular room is 53 feet in diameter and rises 128 feet from the basement of the building to the oculus at the apex of the inner dome. The rotunda at once divides and unifies the Senate and the Assembly, the two houses of the California State Legislature, who occupy the South and North wings of the Capitol, respectively.

The interior dome of the Capitol combines Victorian detail with Classical Renaissance elements and governmental symbols. What visitors cannot see is the fact that directly above the Oculus is a circular metal staircase that extends another 90 feet to the Cupola, a small open space located on top of the Capitol’s outer dome.

While a rotunda is a feature of nearly every state capitol in the United States, the California State Capitol Rotunda is by no means generic. In fact, perhaps the most impressive decorations in the Rotunda are those related the California’s State symbols. A band of cast iron grizzly bears look down on visitors and stylized versions of Minerva, the Roman goddess who is featured of the Great Seal of California, set atop the arched openings that lead into the second floor rotunda walkway. Such California specific ornamentation exists throughout the rest of the building.

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Exterior Dome – has gold-plated copper ball. The California State Capitol was in part modeled after the United States Capitol, which features a bronze statue of “Freedom” as its crowning ornament. Given the already marked resemblance between the two Capitols’ architecture, the absence of a statue on the California State Capitol was intended to distinguish the two buildings. In addition, the presence of a gold-plated ball, reminiscent of a gold nugget, reminds visitors to the Capitol of California’s Gold Rush heritage.

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According to ancient Roman myth, the goddess Minerva was born fully grown. Just as Minerva was born fully grown, so California became a state without first having been a territory. Minerva’s image on the Great Seal symbolizes California’s direct rise to statehood.

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California Golden Poppy Mosaic Floors: Although the California State Capitol dates back to the 1860s, Italian mosaicists installed the marble mosaic floors located on the second floor in the north and south wings of the Capitol during a major remodel of the building in 1906. The floor consists of a grey and peach marble background with black, yellow and red marble borders.

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Eureka tile grouping: Four large tile groupings featuring Minerva seated with a California grizzly bear and the word Eureka are located in the north and south hallways of the first floor of the Capitol. “Eureka” is California’s state motto and in Greek translates to “I have found it”.

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Related Links:
Home.. click here..
2015 Vacation: Trip to Sacramento, San Francisco, Carson City & Lake Tahoe.. click here..

My Vacations.. click here..
Vacation: USA.. click here..
Vacation: UK.. click here..
Vacation: India.. click here..
UNESCO World Heritage Site.. click here..

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