{"id":11295,"date":"2025-10-21T22:08:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T22:08:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/11295\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T22:08:25","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T22:08:25","slug":"tour-casa-belvedere-the-stirn-mansion-on-staten-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/11295\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour Casa Belvedere, \u201cThe Stirn Mansion\u201d on Staten Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

Insiders Events<\/a><\/p>\n

Explore the historic rooms of the former Louis A. and Laura Roebling-Stirn Mansion, now home to The Italian Cultural Foundation!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Untapped
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Untapped New York<\/a><\/p>\n

Oct 1, 2025 <\/p>\n

\"Tour<\/p>\n

Tour Highlights:Architectural Splendor & Preservation: Step inside one of NYC\u2019s last Italianate country homes\u2014now a landmark on the National Register\u2014featuring restored stucco, Ludovici tiles, Juliet balconies, and sweeping terraces, all saved from demolition after a 15-year restorationThe Stirn Family Legacy: Discover the extraordinary story of Laura Roebling-Stirn\u2014granddaughter of Brooklyn Bridge engineer John Roebling, suffragist, Staten Island Bird Club member, and curator of elaborate multi-tiered gardens filled with rare plantsSignal Hill History: Unearth the Revolutionary War history of this area and learn how it transformed into one of Staten Island\u2019s most prestigious enclaves, attracting wealthy families who built grand estates Grymes Hill High Society: Step back into the early 1900s, when the Stirn\u2019s and their neighbors\u2014the Vanderbilts, Cunard\u2019s, Horrmann\u2019s, and Dreyfus\u2019s\u2014established an elite community above New York HarborA Cultural Renaissance: Experience Casa Belvedere’s rebirth as a vibrant cultural hub, home to a beloved cultural institution and the Enrico Caruso Gallery, where visitors can explore rare photographs, listen to an original recording, and see authentic Caruso memorabilia\u2014including a Metropolitan Opera costume from the world\u2019s first superstar tenorUnparalleled Views: Take in sweeping panoramas of New York City\u2019s Harbor and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from the mansion\u2019s iconic terracesAbout this Tour:<\/p>\n

Step back into 1908 and explore the grandeur of the Louis A. and Laura Roebling-Stirn Mansion, an Italianate jewel and rare survivor of New York\u2019s early 20th-century country house era!<\/p>\n

Once a private Gilded Age estate, the home has been meticulously restored and reimagined as Casa Belvedere\u2014a vibrant cultural landmark. On this guided tour, guests will discover original architectural details, hear the story of Laura Roebling-Stirn\u2019s distinguished family lineage\u2014her grandfather John Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge\u2014and learn how she and her husband Louis shaped civic life, women\u2019s suffrage, and horticulture with their celebrated gardens of rare and exotic plants.<\/p>\n

Visitors will conclude in Casa Belvedere\u2019s new\u00a0Enrico Caruso Gallery, where music, memorabilia, and storytelling bring the legendary tenor\u2019s artistry to life\u2014an inspiring finale that deepens appreciation for opera and the cultural richness preserved within these walls.<\/p>\n

About Your Guides – Gina Biancardi & Lou Barrella:<\/p>\n

Gina Biancardi\u00a0is the founder and president of The Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere in Staten Island, N.Y. In 2009, she purchased the historic 1908Stirn Mansion, then on the brink of collapse, and led a 15-year, $5 million effort to restore it and transform it into a vibrant cultural hub. She built Casa Belvedere into a thriving institution that now welcomes more than 25,000 visitors annually for cooking and language classes, concerts, film nights, art exhibits, and its signature Italian Festival. Under her leadership, Casa Belvedere has become a model of nonprofit sustainability through innovative initiatives such as The Belvedere Club, and it continues to expand with plans for an educational vineyard, hydroponic teaching garden, and pavilion overlooking New York Harbor.<\/p>\n

Lou Barrella\u00a0is a distinguished opera educator and lecturer with more than 50 years of experience, including four decades with the Metropolitan Opera\u2019s Education Department. He has delivered over 750 presentations at colleges, museums, and cultural institutions, including Casa Belvedere. Lou served on the Board of the Enrico Caruso Museum and remains an active presence in numerous opera organizations.<\/p>\n

How do I sign up for this event?\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you are not a member yet,\u00a0become one today<\/a> at the Insider tier or higher to join exclusive in-person events like this! <\/p>\n

If you are an Untapped New York Insider, Explorer, or Superfan, simply log in to your account using “Log In” button at the top right of the screen. Once logged in, click on the pink \u201cBook Here\u201d button to book this event! Please note that registration opens at 12pm ET, 14 days before the event date.<\/p>\n

How many tickets can I reserve?\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you are an Insider level member ($20\/month), you can reserve 1 ticket to this event. Explorer level members ($30\/month) or Superfan ($100\/month) can reserve 2 tickets. If you are a Support or Enthusiast level member but would like to attend, it\u2019s easy to upgrade your account\u00a0here<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t login to your Insiders account?<\/p>\n

Please make sure you are trying to sign in with the correct email address. If you have more than one email address please try logging in with all of them, that will solve this issue 99% of the time. Check out our\u00a0FAQ<\/a>\u00a0for videos and more help documents.<\/p>\n

In-person Insider tours may have limited capacity and are booked on a first come, first served basis.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t worry! Sometimes spots open up closer to the event date if there are cancellations. We also repeat our most popular events when possible so you will have another opportunity to join us. There are also multiple other members-only events weekly that you can join in!<\/p>\n

What if I need to cancel?<\/p>\n

If you cancel more than 24 hours ahead of the scheduled event, you will receive a 100% refund. Please be courteous to your fellow Insiders and let us know if you can no longer attend so we can offer your spot to another person. <\/p>\n

To cancel your booking, simply click on \u00ab\u00a0cancel booking\u00a0\u00bb in the confirmation email you received upon booking. The confirmation email was sent from messages@fareharbor.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Insiders Events Explore the historic rooms of the former Louis A. and Laura Roebling-Stirn Mansion, now home to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11296,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-11295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11295\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}