The large Italian city of Caserta is located in the Campania region. It is an important business, industrial and commercial center of the country. Popular among tourists from all over the world thanks to the magnificent structure - the royal palace in Caserta. Naples - one of the most popular tourist centers of the country - is located only 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 Fund in 1997.
A bit of history
In the place 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). This period in the history of the city, researchers consider the peak of prosperity.
Charles VII in 1750 decided to build a new residence near Naples, but in a distance from the sea. The king wished the palace to become the most ambitious of all European. He especially dreamed of surpassing Versailles (France). For a long time they could not choose an architect, but in the end they became Luigi Vanvitelli.
The famous master arrived in Caserta only in 1751 and began work on a project that took more than six months. The first stone was laid at the beginning of 1752, coinciding with this event on the birthday of Charles VII. A year later, they began to break up the park.
It was originally planned to build the Royal Palace in Caserta (Italy) in ten years, but in 1759 Charles VII left the country, and all the work on the construction of the structure fell on his successors, who were not too quick. In 1779, Vanvitelli died, and his son Carlo began to lead the construction. Noble inhabitants settled the palace in 1780, but construction continued until 1845.
Royal Palace in Caserta: description
The palace in plan is a rectangle, inside of which there are four courtyards. Cross walkways divided the space into sectors. The middle arches in the walls are passages from one courtyard to another. The length of the facade is 247 meters, the walls - 185 meters.
The Royal Palace in Caserta (photo you can see 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 disappeared, and this imitation of the style of Versailles ended. For this reason, the new halls were decorated in the Empire style.
A park
The royal palace in Caserta has a huge park with a cascade of fountains, shady alleys, gardens and terraces. Caserta Park covers a vast territory of 120 hectares. The park zone stretches in a cascade of alleys and fountains down the hill. 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 Grapple 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. Two marble lions crown the central span. Then it bifurcates and goes into parallel side marches.
On the stairs are three niches with statues that were supposed to be made of marble, but for some reason they remained plaster prototypes.
Vault
From the upper lobby, tourists usually get to the upper level of the palace, where you can admire the luxurious ceilings painted by the most famous Italian artists. Here, on a special pedestal under the second vault, there were orchestra musicians.
Palatine Chapel
She is in the mezzanine of the palace. The chapel was opened in 1784. The painting “The Immaculate Conception” by Giuseppe Bonito is installed on the main altar. This is one surviving work of those that were ordered specifically for the chapel.
Salon Alexander
This room is entirely dedicated to the legendary Macedonian commander. It is located in the center of the building and separates the premises of the 18th century from the halls of the 19th century. The Sicilian Mariano Rossi painted the vaults of the cabin in 1787. He portrayed “The Wedding of Roxanne and Alexander the Great” to glorify the kingdom's prosperity and peace. Above the fireplace you can see a marble high relief depicting the profile of Alexander, framed by laurel branches.
Mars Hall
This room belongs to the apartments of Marshal Napoleon Joachim Murat. The unusual neoclassical decor glorifies the valor of warriors, which allowed the French to conquer the kingdom. This room is dedicated to the war god Mars. Decoration and decoration of the hall was done by Antonio Simone.
Astrea Hall
It was intended for senior officials and envoys, 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 especially long and in the process of work has undergone numerous changes. Long walls are decorated with 28 pilasters of the Corinthian order with the symbols of the Bourbons. Architects, who encircles the hall, make portraits of the rulers. In its center is a fresco made in 1844 by a master from Naples, Gennaro Muldarelli.
In the depths of the hall is a throne made of gilded carved wood, and its armrests are in the form of winged lions with sirens, which are symbols of Naples.
How to get there
The Royal Palace in Caserta, whose address: 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 tour groups that are formed in Caserta.