Royal Palace of Caserta, a place next to Naples (Italy), is one of the largest and most luxurious structures of its kind in Europe. It is believed that the French Versailles became the model for the emergence of a huge complex. Although connoisseurs of architecture agree that the direct prototype of the building was a vast royal one.

Designed by Italian architect Filippo Juvara. And, obviously, having a lot of features in common with Caserta. By the way, the massiveness and obvious ponderousness of the appearance are not the least of them.

Story

The palace in Caserta was built for the Neapolitan crown in 1754-1780 by Luigi Vanvitelli. The designated time period was a turning point in European architecture and represented a transition from the magnificent Baroque architecture to the classical Greco-Roman designs. Therefore, it is not easy to immediately determine the style in which the building is decided.

The new palace complex became the main residence of the Neapolitan kings. Since the New Castle in Naples is located too close to the sea and therefore too vulnerable to the invasion of the enemy.

Charles III of Bourbon, under whom the construction process began in the palace, never lived there. And even left Italy long before the completion of the project - in 1759 he became king of Spain. By the way, it was he who discovered the talent of the artist Francisco Goya to the world and laid the foundation for the creation of the now world famous Prado Museum.

Dimensions and halls

The Caserta Palace is a vast rectangle measuring 247 x 184 meters inside which there are 4 courtyards. The area of ​​each of them (3,800 m2, 3.8 acres) is such that, if desired, it allows for parades.

The palace itself has approximately 1,200 rooms, half of which are open to tourists. The height of the palace is 36 meters, it has 5 floors! In terms of the number of useful square meters inside, it is considered one of the largest in Europe.

The interior decoration was originally luxurious and has survived to this day in very good condition.

Visitors will be able to climb the truly royal grand staircase of Scala Reggia. And then stroll through the private and ceremonial chambers (dozens of rooms are available) of the Neapolitan monarchs. See an art gallery, consisting mainly of portraits, and visit the palace theater, decided in an unusual way. If necessary, the back wall of the stage is removed, revealing the park as a decoration for the viewer.

Perhaps, you should only be afraid of falling pieces of plaster from the outside, since due to the lack of money for the maintenance of the grandiose architectural monument, a little dilapidated.

The main palace park in terms of the number and quality of fountains can be considered a direct competitor of the Russian Peterhof near St. Petersburg ! Imagine a three-kilometer canal boom that rises from the palace to a hill. And there, at the top, it is crowned with the Grand Cascade and the Diana and Actaeon fountain. There is also a botanical garden called "English".

Filmography

The palace in Caserta, as well as the park, have been protected by UNESCO since 1997 as a World Heritage Site of Humanity. That does not prevent the use of luxurious in- and exteriors in the filming of various films.

Filmmakers sometimes just live in the palace and park. For example, episodes of "Star Wars" (the residence of Princess Amidala) were filmed here and drove Tom Cruise on a motorcycle in "Mission Impossible-3". The cardinals walked around the Scala Reggia. In the film "Angels and Demons" she easily passed for a colleague from.

The incomparable Vivien Leigh also ran here. No, not in Gone With the Wind. The film "Lady Hamilton" was filmed in Caserta, and Lee played the famous lover of Admiral Nelson (Laurence Olivier). The English naval commander once commanded a squadron in the Mediterranean Sea, which was based in Naples. And he often attended receptions at the royal palace.

Opening hours, tickets

Opening hours: 8.30-19.00 (apartments), 9.00-18.00 (exhibitions), 8.30-18.00 (summer, park and gardens). The palace is closed on Tuesdays, December 25 and January 1.
Ticket price: 12 € palace and park, 9 € - only apartments, 3 € - after 17 hours; children 0-17 years old admit free
Official website: reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it

How to get there

Getting to Caserta from Naples is easy! We take the train to Rome (Napoli Centrale - Piazza Garibaldi station), after about half an hour we get off at the desired station. From the same Piazza Garibaldi you can take the CTP bus, which will take you to the place in 1 hour.

By car from Rome, take the A1 motorway (exit Caserta nord). From Naples, Salerno or Bari - motorway A30 (exit Caserta sud). You can park your car in Caserta on the Piazza Carlo III right next to the train station.

Royal Palace of Caserta (Reggia di Caserta) - a palace with an adjacent park, located in Caserta, 34 kilometers from Naples. It is the largest royal residence in the world in terms of area and the historical owners of the palace were the Neapolitan Bourbons, except for a short period when Joachim Murat resided there.

The construction of the Royal Palace of Caserta was started by the King of Naples, Charles VII of Bourbon. He is better known in history as Charles III (Carlos III) - King of Spain since 1759. Prior to that, he managed to visit the Duke of Parma (under the name of Charles I) in 1731-1734 and the king of Naples and Sicily (under the name of Charles VII) in 1734-1759. He came from the Bourbon dynasty and was the son of Philip V and his 2nd wife, Elizabeth Farnese, and was a cousin to Louis XV. From his mother, Karl got the title of Duke of Parma. In 1734, Charles took possession of Naples and Sicily and, recognized in 1735 as their king, was forced to abandon Parma in favor of his brother Philip.
Influenced by the ideas of the enlighteners and his minister Tanucci, Charles carried out a number of reforms in the Kingdom of Naples, which brought him great popularity. Karl brought with him from Parma to Naples the Farnese Art Gallery, now housed in the Capodimonte Museum. At this time, the monarchs preferred to live with their courts away from the capitals, in country residences like Versailles. Historically, the Neapolitan kings have lived in Spain since the 15th century, and the viceroys ruled the kingdom. At first, Charles decided to build a suburban royal palace in Portici, but he soon realized that the location of the palace on the sea coast makes it a convenient target for the enemy fleet, primarily the English, they remembered the British naval expedition against Naples in 1742, and had to lay a new royal residence deep in the peninsula.
Charles turned to the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, who was at the time rebuilding the Loreto Basilica on behalf of the Pope. Charles received permission from the Pope and involved him in the construction of the palace. The king, meanwhile, acquired the necessary area, where the sixteenth century palace of Aquaviva stood, from their heir to Duke Michelangelo Caetani, paying 489.343 ducats.
The King asked that the project include, in addition to the building, a park adjacent to the urban area, with a blueprint for a new aqueduct. The new palace was to become a symbol of the strength and greatness of the Bourbons, but also to be efficient and rational. Charles also wanted to move some administrative structures here, connecting it with the capital of Naples with a monumental alley more than 20 km long. However, this plan was only partially implemented; even the royal palace itself was not completed with a dome and, originally planned, corner towers.
Vanvitelli arrived in Caserta in 1751 and immediately began designing the building to make it one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe. On November 22 of the same year, the architect presented the final project to the King of Naples for approval. Two months later, on January 20, 1752, on the king's birthday, the first stone of the palace was laid during a ceremony in the presence of the royal family.
A year later, when work on the construction of the palace was already in full swing, the creation of the park began under the leadership of Martin Biancourt from Paris. The work continued for several years, and some details remained incomplete. In 1759, after the death of his brother Ferdinand VI, Charles ascended the throne of Spain (under the name of Charles III) and left Naples. According to the international agreements in force at that time, upon accession to the Spanish throne, Charles renounced the Neapolitan in favor of his third son, young Ferdinand (Ferdinand IV of Naples).
After Vanvitelli's death in 1773, his son Carlo, also an architect, continued to work in accordance with his father's project.

The palace in Caserta becomes the royal residence of Ferdinand IV in 1767. He left the Royal Palace at Portici (between Naples and Pompeii) after the eruption of Vesuvius in 1767. Do not think that this volcano has been sleeping peacefully since 79. The last historical eruption of Mount Vesuvius occurred in 1944. One of the lava flows destroyed the cities of San Sebastiano and Massa. During the eruption, 27 people died. The height of the lava fountain from the central crater reached 800 m.
Following the proclamation of the Republic of Naples in 1799, buildings and other property of the royal family were expropriated. The palace building did not suffer serious damage, but it was robbed and a lot of valuable furniture was damaged.
In 1806, Napoleon conquered the Kingdom of Naples and presented the crown to his brother Joseph Bonaparte (Italian: Giuseppe Buonaparte). The Bourbon royal family was forced to seek refuge in Sicily, leaving their possessions on the peninsula, which passed into the hands of the new king. With the conquest of Spain in 1808, Joseph was sent there as the new king, and Joachim Murat took his place as King of Naples, Joachim I. Murat always had a particular fondness for the palace at Caserta, where he kept his court. You can read more about his fate in the article about the castle in Pizzo, where he ended his life.
After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Bourbon monarchy was restored in the new Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Later, the palace served as the seat of the Bourbon dynasty. In 1860 the kingdom was incorporated into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy and the palace fell into decay. It was home to Emanuele Filiberto, the Duke of Aosta, until Victor Emmanuel III handed it over to the Italian state in 1919.

While vacationing in Pozzuoli, near Naples, after a trip to the island of Ischia, we wanted to take a walk in the park. There is no problem with beautiful parks, but there is one place where a promenade with fountains and waterfalls stretches for 3 km! A sort of Italian Versailles. Now I will tell you about it.

While vacationing in Pozzuoli, near Naples, after a trip to the island of Ischia, we wanted to take a walk in the park. There is no problem with beautiful parks, but there is one place where a promenade with fountains and waterfalls stretches for 3 km! A sort of Italian Versailles. Now I will tell you about it.

The city of Caserta is located in southern Italy, 40 km north of Naples, on the edge of the Campanian Valley. Caserta is the administrative center of the province of the same name - a developed industrial, agricultural and commercial city, a transport hub. About 80,000 people live here.

In the center of the city is the main attraction, a UNESCO site - the residence of Reggia di Caserta - the palace of the Neapolitan kings. The Royal Palace of Caserta is considered the largest building in Europe in the 18th century.

The city itself is nothing interesting. On the way from Naples, one town flows smoothly into another. The views are not impressive at all. But everything changes when you drive up to the palace!

How to get to Caserta?

The easiest way to get here is by train. There is a train from Naples with Napoli Centrale approximately every 30 minutes, for about € 10 to the Caserta station. Travel time is 40 minutes.

It makes no sense to go here from Rome, but suddenly you want to. The train runs from Termini Station. You need to go to the Caserta station. Travel time is 1 hour 10 minutes, and the ticket costs about € 35.

Tip from reader Irina: In Italy, you can easily buy cheap ticket in any direction. Trenitalia.com has good rates. The main thing is to buy in advance. Of course, many people buy right on the day of the trip, then, yes, it is expensive. But in advance from 9 euros from Rome to Caserta.

We packed up a parking lot in the navigator right under the lawn in front of the palace. It was Sunday, 9 am. The parking lot was empty. It costs € 1 per hour. Not expensive at all by Italian standards.

The entrance to the palace

I don’t know why, but on this day, the entrance to the park was free. The park is open from 8:30 to 19:00, in winter until 15:30.

Entrance fees:

1. € 14. Includes historic apartments, gallery, Terrae Motus exhibition, park and English garden.
2. € 10 only entrance to the park and the English garden.

Tuesday is a day off.

A little about the palace

Today, in Caserta, the royal chambers, the art gallery and the former court theater are open to the public. There are two exhibitions in the building: the Territorial Museum and the Opera Museum.

The most striking element of the palace furnishings is the marble front staircase with 116 steps. To the right of the staircase is the Palatine Chapel with a spectacular finish in colored marble and stucco plaster; with Giuseppe Bonito's altarpiece "Immaculate Conception". On the left there is a grandiose suite of halls.

Splendid quarters follow one another: the Halls of the Halberdders and the Bodyguards; Alexander's room with a fresco by Mariano Rossi. Next are the royal apartments - New and Old apartments. The old apartments culminate in the Oval Hall; in the middle of the Novye is the Throne Room - the largest and most impressive in the entire palace.

But we came to see the park! It was towards noon. It's time to take a walk.

Palace park

Park plan

Walk in the park

I would divide the park into 3 parts:

1. The park itself. Some lawns without flowers and some trees.
2. Alley with fountains
3. Ascent uphill along the cascade of waterfalls.

The first part of the park was not impressive. Sweltering heat, little shade.

Did you know?

The Caserta Palace was used for filming more than once. Here were filmed episodes of "Star Wars", films "Mission Impossible - 3" and "Angels and Demons".

History page

The construction of the palace began in 1752, by order of the King of Naples and Sicily, Charles VII (Carlos III of Bourbon). The summer royal residence, built earlier on the coast in Portici, was too vulnerable to attacks from the sea. In addition, its location did not allow a full-scale park to be set up nearby. The new palace was to surpass the most important European residences in size and luxury.

The work was entrusted to Luigi Vanvitelli. The architect took the grandiose Palace of Versailles as the basis for the project. Vanvitelli was faced with a difficult task. Caserta was intended to become a "city within a city", to accommodate many royal apartments, a courtyard and government, all kinds of services. A total of 1200 different premises were created. When the model of the future giant palace was presented to Charles VII, the monarch was delighted.

The rectangular palace complex, with external dimensions of 247 by 184 m, was oriented by the facades to the four cardinal points. Four courtyards were hidden behind the outer wings, separated by inner buildings that form a cross. Through passages and galleries were arranged at the crossroads of these buildings for easy passage to different parts of the palace. The work was completed in 1780 by the son of the architect - Carlo Vanvitelli.

Spotted kitty

Part 3 - cascades of waterfalls

The last part is the most exciting. A steep winding staircase leads us to the farthest and most high point parka. A cascade of waterfalls begins at the top. There is a panoramic view of the city from there. Being at the top, you do not understand how you managed to overcome such a distance in the heat in one breath. Measured the height - 217 meters!

Total

We spent € 11 on petrol from Pozzuoli, € 5 on ice cream and € 5 on parking = € 21 for two :-)

Caserta - a good place to get away from dirty Naples, take a break from the sea or stretch out after a week of doing nothing on the beach. A whole day is worth setting aside for the park. In the hottest weather, you can cool off in the cool rooms of the palace and see an excellent collection of paintings.

Alternatively, you can come here from Rome with an overnight stay. Check out the hotels in the city. And the next day to leave for the island of Ischia, by the way, read my report on the island.

What do you think of this park? Have you been there? What is the important thing I have missed? Write in the comments below.

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The Royal Palace of Caserta is a former royal residence in southern Italy, built for the Bourbon kings of Naples. This is one of the largest palaces built in Europe and the world in the 18th century. In 1997, the palace was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is described as "the swan song of the breathtaking art of the Baroque". The palace combined all the characteristic Baroque features necessary to create the illusion of a multidirectional space.

Construction history architectural complex in Caserta

The construction of the palace was started in 1752 for Charles VII of Naples, who worked closely with the famous architect Luigi Vanvitelli. When Charles saw Vanvitelli's grandiose project for Caserta, he expressed his emotions as a desire to rip the heart out of his chest. After all, he never lived in this luxurious palace, since in 1759 he abdicated the throne, becoming king of Spain. The project was brought to a partial completion by his third son and successor Ferdinand IV of Naples.

Versailles became the political and social model for the future Palace of Vanvitelli. Although the palace at Caserta is strikingly different in architecture from the prototype, it solves similar problems and fulfills the same tasks. Luxury building is used not only to provide a comfortable life for the king, but also represents the premises of the court and government in a massive building with the social structure of a small town. The population of Caserta Vecchia was deliberately removed 10 kilometers to ensure unhindered access for labor to the palace.

Another important goal for the king is to have a magnificent new royal court and administrative center for the kingdom, protected from naval attack and away from the likely uprisings of the crowded city of Naples. To provide the king with adequate protection, barracks were placed in the palace for the maintenance of the army.

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The architectural models of the palace in Caserta were the Royal Palace in Madrid, where Charles and Charlottenburg Palace grew up. The spacious octagonal lobby appears to have been inspired by the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, and the chapel is quite comparable to the Royal Chapel at Versailles. The chief architect Vanvitelli died in 1773, after which construction was continued by his son Carlo, and then by other architects. However, the ingenious initial project of the author has been retained unchanged.

From 1923 to 1943, the palace was the seat of the Italian Air Force Academy. Since October 1943, the royal palace has served as the headquarters of the allied forces in the Mediterranean region. In April 1945, the palace acted as the place of signing the terms of the unconditional surrender of Germany and the allied forces of Italy. The agreement covered between 600,000 and 900,000 soldiers along the Italian front, including troops in areas of Austria. In 1945, the palace hosted the first Allied war crimes trial. During this meeting, German General Anton Dostler was sentenced to death and executed nearby (in Aversa).

Architecture and design of the palace in Caserta

The palace has 5 floors, 1,200 rooms, including two dozen state apartments, a large library and a theater modeled after the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. The monumental avenue 20 kilometers long, which was supposed to run between the palace and the center of Naples, was planned to be built, but this grandiose project was never implemented.

Of all the royal palaces in the world, Caserta is considered the largest and most ambitious, with an area of ​​more than 2 million m³. Of all the royal residences influenced by the opulent Palace of Versailles, Reggia Caserta is the one that bears the most resemblance to the original model. A distinctive feature and similarity between these two stately palaces is the unique continuous balustrade horizon.

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Like Versailles, a large aqueduct was built here to deliver water for the palace's stunning water screens. Like its French predecessor, the palace was supposed to show the strength and grandeur of the absolute monarchy of the Bourbons. The palace in Caserta provided a royal refuge from the dust and noise of the capital, just as Versailles liberated Louis XIV from crowded Paris.

The Royal Palace has over 40 monumental halls fully decorated with frescoes, while Versailles has only 22 monumental halls.

Sculpture, stucco and fountains of the palace in Caserta

The interior decoration of the palace is striking in its luxury and splendor. The abundance of stucco moldings, bas-reliefs, sculptures and frescoes makes this palace truly majestic, not only in terms of size and territory, but also in terms of cultural heritage.

You can appreciate the variety of stucco and sculptural decor already at the first glance at the main staircase of the palace. The white plaster bas-reliefs on the walls depict the harsh warriors of the royal troops. The massive marble staircase is framed by snow-white columns and arches, and the flights of the staircase are decorated with two statues of mighty lions. Carl Bourbon is sitting on one of these lions.

Walking to the stairs, the guest finds himself in a unique atrium that unites all four courtyards of the royal garden. The atrium, like the main staircase, is richly decorated with sculpture. In addition to the works of the greatest and most famous Italian sculptors and painters of the period, there are numerous statues found in excavations of ancient cities that were buried under a huge layer of dust and lava as a result of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

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Passages from the stairs lead to the lower atrium, where the king's tribune is located, which has obvious decorative similarities with the decoration of Versailles. The Royal Apartments consist of the Halberd Hall, the Hall of the Guardsmen, and the Alexander Hall. All these luxurious rooms are decorated in the style popular and characteristic of palace complexes built at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Another sculptural masterpiece is the fountains and park decor of the botanical garden located on the territory adjacent to the palace. A large number of monumental creations are presented here, the most impressive of which is the fountain of Diana and Actaeon. The park's décor includes magnificent sculptures depicting figures of ancient gods, mythical and real animals, fish and monsters.

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Today, the architectural and park complex in Caserta is in a state of decline and neglect, and only half of the halls of the palace are open to the public. The Italian government is not ready to allocate so much money for the maintenance of the largest palace complex in Europe, in connection with which the building has long been in need of large-scale restoration.

Historians and art historians insist on the full restoration of this luxurious creation of Italian architects and sculptors, in connection with which, most likely, the building will be closed to visitors in the near future. Hurry up to appreciate this magnificent beauty of stucco and sculptural art.

Caserta is located in the Campania region. It is an important business, industrial and commercial center of the country. Popular with tourists from all over the world due to its magnificent structure - the royal palace in Caserta. Naples, one of the most popular tourist centers in the country, is located just forty kilometers north of the city.

Every year thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see one of the most beautiful palace and park complexes in Europe: the royal palace in Caserta of the Bourbon dynasty, which ruled the Kingdom of Naples in the 18th-19th centuries, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

A bit of history

On the site where Caserta is located today, there was a settlement even before the arrival of the Romans. As a result of the war for Polish rule, Caserta fell under the rule of the Neapolitan Bourbons (one of the branches of the dynasty). Researchers consider this period in the history of the city to be the peak of prosperity.

In 1750 he decided to build a new residence near Naples, but away from the sea. The king wished that the palace became the most grandiose of all European ones. He especially dreamed of surpassing Versailles (France). For a long time they could not choose an architect, but in the end it was Luigi Vanvitelli.

The famous master arrived in Caserta only in 1751 and began work on the project, which took more than six months. The first stone was laid at the beginning of 1752, timed to coincide with the birthday of Charles VII. A year later, they began to lay out the park.

It was originally planned to build the Royal Palace in ten years, but in 1759 Charles VII left the country, and all the construction work fell on his successors, who were not too quick. In 1779, Vanvitelli died, and his son Carlo took over the construction. Noble inhabitants settled in the palace as early as 1780, but construction continued until 1845.

Royal Palace of Caserta: description

In the plan, the palace is a rectangle with four courtyards inside. Cross walkways divided the space into sectors. The middle arches in the walls are passageways from one courtyard to another. The length of the facade is 247 meters, the length of the walls is 185 meters.

The Royal Palace in Caserta (you can see the photo below) is a five-story building thirty-six meters high. The complex has over one thousand two hundred rooms. By the time the construction of the Royal Palace in Caserta was completed, the fashion for baroque splendor gradually faded, and this was the end of the imitation of the style of Versailles. For this reason, the new halls were decorated in the Empire style.

The park

At the royal palace in Caserta, there is a huge park with a cascade of fountains, shady alleys, gardens and terraces. The Caserta Park occupies a huge area of ​​120 hectares. The park zone stretches as a cascade of alleys and fountains down the slope. The fountains of Aktion and Diana, dolphins, Adonis and Venus are especially beautiful at any time of the year. There is also a botanical garden designed by John Graefer and Carlo Vanvitelli.

Main staircase

This staircase, according to experts, is the heart of the royal palace in Caserta - a magnificent combination of classicism and baroque. The central aisle is crowned with two marble lions. Then it bifurcates and goes into parallel side marches.

On the staircase there are three niches with statues that were supposed to be made of marble, but for some reason they remained as plaster prototypes.

Vault

From the upper lobby, tourists usually get to the upper level of the palace, where they can admire the magnificent ceilings that were painted by the most famous Italian artists. Here, on a special pedestal under the second vault, the orchestra members were located.

Palatine chapel

It is located in the mezzanine of the palace. The chapel was opened in 1784. On the main altar there is a painting "The Immaculate Conception" by Giuseppe Bonito. This is one of the surviving works ordered specifically for the chapel.

Alexander's salon

This room is entirely dedicated to the legendary Macedonian military leader. It is located in the center of the building and separates the premises of the 18th century from the rooms of the 19th century. The vaults of the salon were painted by the Sicilian Mariano Rossi in 1787. He portrayed "The Wedding of Roxanne and Alexander the Great" to celebrate the kingdom's prosperity and peace. Above the fireplace can be seen a marble high relief depicting the profile of Alexander, framed by laurel branches.

Hall of Mars

This room belongs to the apartments of Marshal Napoleon. The extraordinary neoclassical décor celebrates the valor of the warriors that enabled the French to conquer the kingdom. This room is dedicated to the god of war Mars. The decoration and decoration of the hall was done by Antonio Simone.

Hall of Astrea

It was intended for high-ranking officials and ambassadors, secretaries of state and other privileged persons. It got its name from the painting on the vault, which depicts the "Triumph of Astrea". This goddess was a symbol of justice, and it was believed that in the Golden Age she lived among people.

Throne room

This hall was designed for a particularly long time and has undergone numerous changes in the course of work. Long walls are decorated with 28 Corinthian pilasters with Bourbon symbols. The architrave, which encircles the hall, is composed of portraits of the rulers. In its center is a fresco by Gennaro Maldarelli from Naples in 1844.

At the back of the room is a throne made of gilded carved wood, and its armrests are shaped with sirens, which are the symbols of Naples.

How to get there?

The Royal Palace of Caserta, at Viale Douhet, 2 / A, Caserta (CE), is located in the city center. You can get here by train or car from Naples on your own or as part of any of the excursion groups that are formed in Caserta.