Ralston Hall, Renaissance Revival mansion at Notre Dame de Namur University, California

Ralston Hall is a four-floor, 55,000-square-foot mansion in Belmont, built around Count Leonetto Cipriani's 1853 Italian Villa, whose asymmetrical massing and tower survive in the east wing. William Chapman Ralston expanded it into an Italianate villa with Steamboat Gothic and Victorian touches, completed in 1867. Inside are a mirrored oval ballroom in the Versailles tradition, an opera box modelled after the Opéra Garnier, a grand staircase, 23 crystal chandeliers and inlaid wood floors.

Construction was completed in 1867, transforming an earlier villa from 1853 into an expansive residence. The property changed hands and purposes over decades before joining the university and receiving official historical recognition.

The mansion carries the name of its most famous owner, a prominent banker who shaped California's financial landscape in the 1800s. For locals and visitors, it remains a symbol of the state's era of rapid wealth and ambition.

The building sits prominently on campus and is visible from the main grounds, though advance planning is wise before visiting. The location is easily accessible by car, and the university provides general orientation for guests.

The oval ballroom had mirrored walls and a frescoed ceiling with a large crystal chandelier; a San Francisco history called it the most effective setting for a ball the author had seen. The house holds 23 crystal chandeliers and an opera box modelled on the Opéra Garnier in Paris.