Daniela Scillieri: Visiting the Capital

Daniela Scillieri lives and works in Austin, Texas, which is the State Capital. She is a student at Austin Community College, and is currently employed as a Marketing Coordinator for Smith's Painting.

Daniela Scillieri is proud to be a resident of the Lone Star State. Living and working in the State Capital, she enjoys taking visitors to see the sites of state government. Located in downtown Austin, the State Capital sits on twenty-two acres of beautifully landscaped lawns, seventeen monuments, and many historic buildings. Visitors there are rarely disappointed by what they see.

The Visitors Center offers exhibits and a gift shop, and Daniela Scillieri says no visit is complete without stopping by for a souvenir. The Capitol building itself displays stunning architecture and the inner-workings of the Texas legislature. Daniela Scillieri likes to bring a brown bag lunch when she goes, because the Capitol grounds are a beautiful place to enjoy a picnic or a long stroll.

The Texas Capitol building as it is known today isn't the first one. The state's very first Capitol building was built on a hilltop near Congress Avenue. The next building, located at Capitol Square, was completed in 1853 but burned down in 1881.

A nation-wide design contest was held to determine who would build the next (and current) Capitol building. Architect Elijah E. Myers, who also built the Capitols for Michigan and Colorado, won with a Renaissance Revival style.

The Capitol Visitors Center is located in the General Land Office Building, which was built in 1856. As Daniela Scillieri always points out, that makes it the oldest state office building in Texas. In addition to the gift shop, the Visitors Center contains many exhibits, including photos, videos, artifacts, and even a room honoring short story author O. Henry.