Sometimes when you live in such a beautiful and historic town, such as Saint Augustine, you need to be a tourist in your own town to really understand what the place is all about. Especially when some of the most historic homes in the city are literally steps from your front door. So one Saturday, instead of going to the beach, we decided to be just like the majority of people in this town, which at this time of year are tourists, and see the sights.

Our first stop was the Old St. Augustine Village, after we had tried going to The Oldest House, and the workers there were closing for lunch (closing for lunch, on a Saturday, during one of the biggest tourist seasons???). Anyway, Roberto and I are both history geeks. We like being in the places where so many other people have been throughout the years. Historic places, especially homes, have a certain energy and vibe to them – they are a very real and living part of history and we are privileged to be able to walk the same stairs and floors as people did so long ago.

Old Saint Augustine Village is a collection of nine historic homes that date from 1790 to 1910. There are also housed archaeological records from a 16th century hospital and cemetery, an 18th century Spanish defense line. Its grounds are also filled with some of the most beautiful courtyards and gardens in the city.

One of our favorite houses on the property was the Carpenter’s House which is tilted. The tilt does not come from poor construction, but from the house literally being detached from its foundation, likely during a hurricane and flood that struck the city in 1944. You cannot enter the building itself, but you can have a look inside through the open doorway.

Another favorite was the Prince Murat House named for its most famous occupant – Prince Achille Murat, a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte and the crown prince of Naples, Italy. He lived here, in Saint Augustine in 1824 for several months.

I don’t know if he actually slept in this bed…but man is it small!
Later when he moved to Tallahassee he married Catherine Gray, the grand niece of George Washington and through her marriage to the prince became the first American born princess. The house is furnished with Napoleonic antiques and artifacts.

Another house, the Canova House, the third oldest structure on the property was built in 1840 to protect the builder’s family from the on-going Seminole wars. It is furnished with pre-civil war items. One of the newer houses on the property ( Rose House or Spear House, I believe) has an upstairs that is not being used as studios for local artists. You can go upstairs and enjoy their paintings as well as speak to the artists. It is quite interesting and informative.

Old Saint Augustine Village is a bit off the beaten path by foot, however it is a stop on the city’s trolley bus tours. So be sure to check it out. It is one way to really enjoy some of the oldest pieces of history in Saint Augustine.