Have you ever felt like a King or Queen while you lounged in your Gazebo? Well, there was once a time when only royalty could use a gazebo in places like Egypt. While this tradition no longer holds true in America, the gazebo’s rich history is woven through many cultures.

Gazebos were initially used for VIPs. In ancient Egypt, the royal family sat in an ‘earthly paradise’ or gazebo. The rich even went so far as to include gazebos in their tombs. The Romans and Greeks built their gazebos out of marble and were used by the public. These are the most famous, historical images you’ve seen of gazebos – a symbol of wealth, celebration and relaxation.

However, in Eastern civilization, gazebos were used as a place for spiritual reflection. During the Renaissance, monasteries started to use gazebos as meditation spots and shrines. In China and Japan, gazebos were a large part of their culture, acting as a teahouse and used for tea ceremonies.

Pavilion in Taiwan. Photo by Sudasana

The Persians believed gazebos were meccas of relaxation. They deliberately built their gazebos near waterways with flowers and vines growing up the posts.

The gazebo’s popularity grew in the early 1600’s when France erected four gazebos outside the prominent Louvre museum. The rest of the world caught on in the 1700’s and gazebos became a part of cultures all over the world.

Gazebo from 1895. Photo by Graphicsfairy.com

In American presidential history, George Washington used a small, eight-sided gazebo at Mount Vernon while Thomas Jefferson mentioned gazebos in his writing, describing them as pavilions and summer homes. Gazebos gained popularity in the States in the 1800’s – the same time the middle class began to prosper. Gazebos were actually a part of wrap around porches that were popular during this time. However, throughout the century, patios and decks replaced the gazebo in this setting.

Today, Americans follow the Mediterranean dweller’s culture of using the gazebo for gatherings and also privately at home. While you don’t need to be rich or royal to own a gazebo today, it still exudes the symbol of having a charming, comfortable lifestyle. See yourself living this lifestyle with one of Fifthroom.com’s gorgeous gazebos like our Dodecagon Gazebos with your choice of a vinyl, treated pine, or red cedar roof. Our Treated Pine Rectangle Gazebo is perfect for a smaller gathering right in your backyard, garden or even in a parks and recreation setting.

Fifthroom.com
s Treated Pine Rectangular Gazebo

And, when you purchase a gazebo from Fifthroom.com and sit in it with friends and family, you can still tell them you’re a VIP!