Of all the magnificent works and constructions by which the Bourbon dynasty adorned and modernised the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the pride is the universally famous Royal Palace of Caserta. It was designed and mostly built by the Dutch architect Ludwig Van Wittel, who received the Italian onomatopoeic name of Vanvitelli. He was called to Naples by King Charles, who, as real grandchild of the Roi Soleil, wanted to build a new Royal Palace, a “residence” fit for a Bourbon King and his Court. The palace - in the King’s intentions - had to be the most beautiful and largest royal palace in the world after Versailles, a pride for the new Kingdom he had conquered and a further evidence of his willingness to make this Kingdom an independent and sovereign one.
Charles personally followed the work together with the Queen and they both were Vanvitelli’s inspirers, however without modifying the original design of the great architect. It was an excellent “union of souls”: evidence of this is given by Vanvitelli himself, in his periodic letters to his brother, where he always expressed his joy for the attention that the two Sovereigns paid to his work and for the good understanding that made the work progress quickly and with great profit. Its foundation stone was laid on 20 January 1752 in an official ceremony celebrating the 36th birthday of King Charles. Vanvitelli had presented his project the previous year, on 2 May 1751. Charles and Maria Amalia were so enthusiast that the architect wrote his brother that reality had overcome his best expectations. The Palace had been designed as a huge building with twin facades, one looking on to the parade ground, the other to the gardens. The central dome and the statue of Charles on the gable in the middle of the facade were present in the original design but were never realised. For the first time, the central stairway leading to the royal apartments (at whose entrance we now find the Public Administration High School), was put at the centre of a building. The Royal Palace of Caserta was planned by Charles of Bourbon, who came to the Kingdom of Naples in 1734. In the choice of the site, which had belonged to the family of the Princes Gaetani di Sermoneta, foe of the Bourbons, climatic motives were predominant – salubrity of air and fertility of soil – strategic reasons, being the distance from the sea and the consequent risk of naval gunfire, and political-economic ones regarding the development of hitherto neglected land. Several architects were considered, finally Luigi Vanvitelli was given the charge, already designer and architects in the service of the Pope.
The construction of the Reggia continued at a good pace until 1759, the year in which Charles of Bourbon left the kingdom of Naples to take up the crown of Spain. Thereafter building slowed down, and at Vanvitelli’s death in 1773 it was still far from being completed. Up to 2681 workers were engaged simultaneously on the yard, of whom 300 master masons, 166 convicts, 245 Turkish Mohammedans captured on the pirate ships that infested the Mediterranean, 160 Christians guilty of misdemeanour; all under supervision of 438 guards, 14 adminstrators and 3 directors. According to the reports of the times, for the transportation and the removal of materials, aside from horses and donkeys, camels and elephants were used! It was not until 1847 that the Throne Room was finished and the work could finally be considered completed.
In total, the Palace has 1200 rooms! A description of the Palace and its gardens is impossible here. It is one of the most famous and loved architectural masterpieces in the world. We will limit ourselves to show some pictures and spend a few words on the most important and beautiful rooms. Entrance to the Palatine Chapel (similar to the one in Versailles) is from the upper hall. The Chapel is an unadorned and vaulted room with columns and a high stylobate. It was inaugurated by the Mass of Christmases Eve in 1784, at the presence of the King and all the Court. The chapel is dedicated to Mary Immaculate, whose image is painted on the apse. A mention must be made to the Rooms of the Seasons, small and highly decorated rooms: in the room of “spring”, the King and Queen welcomed their most intimate guests and Hackert embellished it with some splendid views of harbours. Whereas the King’s apartment is furnished in a rigorous way and contains German pieces of furniture, the apartment of Queen Maria Carolina is somehow frivolous and elegant. Once crossed the three neoclassical rooms of the Palatine Library, we reach the Elliptic Room, all white washed, without decorations, destined to the Court recreation; it presently houses the enchanting Bourbon Crib. The Bourbons always encouraged the ancient Neapolitan tradition of the Crib and every Christmas a huge crib was prepared in the Palace by expert artisans but also by the Princesses, who tailored the dresses of the shepherds. The hands, heads and feet of the statuettes were made of clay, whereas the body was made of stow and wire. Real designs were realised for the crib: the last one was made in 1844, and the present crib in the Palace is inspired by that last project. Leaving the Elliptical Room, we entry the splendid Art Gallery, recently furnished with the portraits of the Sovereigns. But even more important is the area dedicated to the splendid landscapes that Ferdinand IV ordered to J.P. Hackert, the other famous artist who worked in the Palace of Caserta. Mention must be also made to the small and precious theatre, located in the western wing. The theatre was not foreseen in the first design, and Vanvitelli made it upon a precise will of King Charles in 1756, when the work had already begun.
To conclude, no description can convey the beauty of the wonderful gardens and their enchanting sculptures, that can only be appreciated while personally seen. Only a visit to the place can give merit to the splendour of the Palace and the munificence of the Bourbons, makers of the most beautiful and largest Palaces in the world.
Admittance ticket to the Royal Palace of Caserta: EUR 6.
Restaurants in the area
Casa Hirta
Via Ruggiero
Tel. 0823-353655
La Leccese
Piazza Vanvitelli
Tel. 0823-329612
Lampara
Via Vico
Tel. 0823-321709
La Taverna dei Mannesi
Via XXV aprile
Tel. 0823-491422
La Tegola
Via Mondo
Tel. 0823-442689
La Toppa Rossa
Via Case Sparse
Tel. 0823-341076
Le Colonne
Via Appia
Tel. 0823-467494
Driving distances and approximate driving times
Amalfi: 79 km / 49 miles / 82 min.
Praiano: 89 km / 55 miles / 93 min.
Positano: 82 km / 51 miles / 84 min.
Ravello: 90 km / 56 miles / 100 min.
Sorrento: 72 km / 45 miles / 70 min.
Pompeii: 48 km / 30 miles / 40 min.
Naples: 33 km / 20 miles / 30 min.
Rome: 198 km / 123 miles / 121 min.
Salerno: 78 km / 48 miles / 60 min.
Paestum: 117 km / 73 miles / 86 min.
Castellabate: 138 km / 86 miles / 109 min.
Marina di Camerota: 159 km / 99 miles / 170 min.
Charles personally followed the work together with the Queen and they both were Vanvitelli’s inspirers, however without modifying the original design of the great architect. It was an excellent “union of souls”: evidence of this is given by Vanvitelli himself, in his periodic letters to his brother, where he always expressed his joy for the attention that the two Sovereigns paid to his work and for the good understanding that made the work progress quickly and with great profit. Its foundation stone was laid on 20 January 1752 in an official ceremony celebrating the 36th birthday of King Charles. Vanvitelli had presented his project the previous year, on 2 May 1751. Charles and Maria Amalia were so enthusiast that the architect wrote his brother that reality had overcome his best expectations. The Palace had been designed as a huge building with twin facades, one looking on to the parade ground, the other to the gardens. The central dome and the statue of Charles on the gable in the middle of the facade were present in the original design but were never realised. For the first time, the central stairway leading to the royal apartments (at whose entrance we now find the Public Administration High School), was put at the centre of a building. The Royal Palace of Caserta was planned by Charles of Bourbon, who came to the Kingdom of Naples in 1734. In the choice of the site, which had belonged to the family of the Princes Gaetani di Sermoneta, foe of the Bourbons, climatic motives were predominant – salubrity of air and fertility of soil – strategic reasons, being the distance from the sea and the consequent risk of naval gunfire, and political-economic ones regarding the development of hitherto neglected land. Several architects were considered, finally Luigi Vanvitelli was given the charge, already designer and architects in the service of the Pope.
The construction of the Reggia continued at a good pace until 1759, the year in which Charles of Bourbon left the kingdom of Naples to take up the crown of Spain. Thereafter building slowed down, and at Vanvitelli’s death in 1773 it was still far from being completed. Up to 2681 workers were engaged simultaneously on the yard, of whom 300 master masons, 166 convicts, 245 Turkish Mohammedans captured on the pirate ships that infested the Mediterranean, 160 Christians guilty of misdemeanour; all under supervision of 438 guards, 14 adminstrators and 3 directors. According to the reports of the times, for the transportation and the removal of materials, aside from horses and donkeys, camels and elephants were used! It was not until 1847 that the Throne Room was finished and the work could finally be considered completed.
In total, the Palace has 1200 rooms! A description of the Palace and its gardens is impossible here. It is one of the most famous and loved architectural masterpieces in the world. We will limit ourselves to show some pictures and spend a few words on the most important and beautiful rooms. Entrance to the Palatine Chapel (similar to the one in Versailles) is from the upper hall. The Chapel is an unadorned and vaulted room with columns and a high stylobate. It was inaugurated by the Mass of Christmases Eve in 1784, at the presence of the King and all the Court. The chapel is dedicated to Mary Immaculate, whose image is painted on the apse. A mention must be made to the Rooms of the Seasons, small and highly decorated rooms: in the room of “spring”, the King and Queen welcomed their most intimate guests and Hackert embellished it with some splendid views of harbours. Whereas the King’s apartment is furnished in a rigorous way and contains German pieces of furniture, the apartment of Queen Maria Carolina is somehow frivolous and elegant. Once crossed the three neoclassical rooms of the Palatine Library, we reach the Elliptic Room, all white washed, without decorations, destined to the Court recreation; it presently houses the enchanting Bourbon Crib. The Bourbons always encouraged the ancient Neapolitan tradition of the Crib and every Christmas a huge crib was prepared in the Palace by expert artisans but also by the Princesses, who tailored the dresses of the shepherds. The hands, heads and feet of the statuettes were made of clay, whereas the body was made of stow and wire. Real designs were realised for the crib: the last one was made in 1844, and the present crib in the Palace is inspired by that last project. Leaving the Elliptical Room, we entry the splendid Art Gallery, recently furnished with the portraits of the Sovereigns. But even more important is the area dedicated to the splendid landscapes that Ferdinand IV ordered to J.P. Hackert, the other famous artist who worked in the Palace of Caserta. Mention must be also made to the small and precious theatre, located in the western wing. The theatre was not foreseen in the first design, and Vanvitelli made it upon a precise will of King Charles in 1756, when the work had already begun.
To conclude, no description can convey the beauty of the wonderful gardens and their enchanting sculptures, that can only be appreciated while personally seen. Only a visit to the place can give merit to the splendour of the Palace and the munificence of the Bourbons, makers of the most beautiful and largest Palaces in the world.
Admittance ticket to the Royal Palace of Caserta: EUR 6.
Restaurants in the area
Casa Hirta
Via Ruggiero
Tel. 0823-353655
La Leccese
Piazza Vanvitelli
Tel. 0823-329612
Lampara
Via Vico
Tel. 0823-321709
La Taverna dei Mannesi
Via XXV aprile
Tel. 0823-491422
La Tegola
Via Mondo
Tel. 0823-442689
La Toppa Rossa
Via Case Sparse
Tel. 0823-341076
Le Colonne
Via Appia
Tel. 0823-467494
Driving distances and approximate driving times
Amalfi: 79 km / 49 miles / 82 min.
Praiano: 89 km / 55 miles / 93 min.
Positano: 82 km / 51 miles / 84 min.
Ravello: 90 km / 56 miles / 100 min.
Sorrento: 72 km / 45 miles / 70 min.
Pompeii: 48 km / 30 miles / 40 min.
Naples: 33 km / 20 miles / 30 min.
Rome: 198 km / 123 miles / 121 min.
Salerno: 78 km / 48 miles / 60 min.
Paestum: 117 km / 73 miles / 86 min.
Castellabate: 138 km / 86 miles / 109 min.
Marina di Camerota: 159 km / 99 miles / 170 min.
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