The Claydon estate, for over 400 years an embodiment of 18th-century Rococo and Palladian splendor, has been the jewel of the Verney family. Claydon welcomed Florence Nightingale, who was known as “Auntie Flo,” and was home to Sir Edmund Verney, the patriarch who fought in the English Civil War. The once private staterooms now open their doors to the work of over 20 artists, setting contemporary art against ornate interiors. Inside, works from Mona Hatoum and Tracey Emin fill Nightingale’s former bedroom, while sculptures by Anselm Kiefer and Antony Gormley animate the outdoor grounds and courtyards. —Maggie Turner