Bellosguardo Foundation

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The Bellosguardo Foundation is a charitable organization for the arts located at the oceanside estate in Santa Barbara, California, known as Bellosguardo, one of the empty mansions of the reclusive copper heiress Huguette Clark. Registered in the State of New York, the arts foundation was formed to administer the Bellosguardo property according to the provisions in the will of Huguette Clark, who died in 2011 at age 104. Well known in her youth as an heiress, and again in her later years for being a recluse, she was an artist, art collector, and philanthropist, the youngest child of Senator William A. Clark. The great home sat furnished but unvisited by Huguette Clark and her mother after about 1951. The staff was under orders to keep the home as it was, and automobiles remained in the carriage house with 1949 license plates. The story of Bellosguardo and the Clarks figures prominently in the bestselling nonfiction book Empty Mansions, which is being developed into a television series by HBO. Scheduled docent-led tours of the home began in 2023. At first, because of city restrictions, tours were limited to supporters. Now tours are open to anyone. Visitors sign up for free on the foundation's website to receive notifications of tour dates. The foundation in 2025 received approval of permits from the city of Santa Barbara allowing tours for the public. The foundation hosted an inaugural fundraiser at the mansion on October 13, 2018, with more than 500 people paying $1,500 or more to attend. Public musical events have been held, such as a flamenco dance presentation during Santa Barbara's Old Spanish Days Fiesta. The foundation's annual tax return lists its mission as: "Bellosguardo Foundation fosters and promotes the arts by offering docent-led tours of the house and gardens with an emphasis on the...