Frequently Asked Questions                                                                                          

What is Villa Finale’s current status?
The house is currently undergoing extensive restoration work on the interior, exterior, and landscape.  Every piece in Mr. Mathis’s collection is being cleaned and cataloged, exhibits are being planned, and our oral history project called Restoring Voices is underway.

What can we look forward to?
In addition to tours of the Mathis home where you will get an up-close experience of his extraordinary collections,  Villa Finale will feature exhibits at our Visitor Center only a short walk away on the corner of Turner and Madison.  We will also provide a variety of public programs on collecting and historic preservation.  Our goal is to become an enriching part of the beautiful King William National Historic District and San Antonio by continuing Mr. Mathis’s remarkable legacy in historic preservation.

When is Villa Finale scheduled to open?
The Opening Celebration of the house will be on September 30, 2010; opening for public tours is Saturday, October 2, 2010. 

When is Villa Finale's Visitor Center scheduled to open?
The Visitor Center opened in October of 2009.  Hours of operation are Tuesday - noon to 3:30, Wednesday 9:30 to 3:30, Thursday 9:30 to 3:30, Friday 9:30 to 3:30  and Saturday 9:30 to 3:30. The Visitor Center is closed Sunday and Monday.

 How many objects are in the collection?
There are new objects from the house being added to the collection all the time as the staff finishes up the cataloging.  Our latest figure puts the collection at about 12,500 objects.

What types of objects are found in Villa Finale's collection?
There beautiful examples of European furniture, and fine and decorative arts.  Mr. Mathis particularly enjoyed collecting memorabilia surrounding the life and death of Napoleon Bonaparte.  Mr. Mathis’s interest in Texas art is represented in the collection by such artists as Mary Bonner, and Julian and Robert Onderdonk.  In addition, there is a wide range of Texas decorative arts, such as Bell silver, Texas furniture, and Texian campaign ceramics. 

What year was the house built?
Construction on the house began in 1876.  Records vary on the early years of the house, but by the mid-1890s the house had assumed the shape it has now.

Who designed Villa Finale?
Research indicates that Villa Finale was designed by architect Francis Crider.

When the house opens, will it be different from the way Mr. Mathis had it?
It's our goal to present the entire house as nearly as possible to the way Mr. Mathis lived in it.  This means only removing objects from display if we need to do so for their own protection, for the protection of other objects, or for the safety or accessibility of visitors.

 If you've got additional questions and would like to see them answered here, please email us at villafinale@nthp.org.