Home of the Cecil family since 1527, Burghley is the grandest Elizabethan house in England still inhabited by main-line descendants of the original owner. It was built in an era when formal state rooms were in demand, intended for possible visits from the Sovereign. Over four centuries, and particularly as the result of purchases made on Grand Tours, these rooms became filled with extraordinary furniture, tapestries, frescoes, and works of art. With ownership passing in unbroken succession well into the twentieth century, the collections at Burghley have been superbly preserved, and the house is a treasure trove of diverse riches.