The Belvedere di San Leucio is located a short distance from Caserta. From the hill on which this castle is built, one has a beautiful view of the surrounding area, including Vesuvius and the island of Capri. The Belvedere is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
A brief history of the Belvedere di San Leucio in Caserta
San Leucio is one of the suburbs of Caserta. The name comes from a small Lombard church that stood on the top of the hill of the same name. At one time, the village located here was called Villaggio Torre. The Acquaviva, feudal lords of Caserta, had a castle built here in the 16th century. From this castle, used as a hunting lodge, the panorama was so beautiful that it received the name Belvedere.
In the second half of the 18th century Caserta came into the hands of Charles III of Bourbon. In 1759 the area was inherited by Ferdinand IV, who also became King of Naples.
In 1773, San Leucio was enlarged and a wall was also built around it. The architect of this reconstruction was Francesco Collecini. It became the favorite place of the young king, who was fond of hunting.
In 1778, King Ferdinand decided to convert the Belvedere together with the surrounding area into an ideal city. Ferdinandopoli, intended in part to provide a future for the youth of the village, became a center for the processing of silk. The factory was located inside a royal palace.
The elegant halls where the king himself used to spend his time were not renovated. The only exception was the banquet hall within which a church was built for the congregation.
Around the Belvedere, the districts of San Carlo and San Ferdinando sprang up. Schools were built, together with dwellings for the teachers and the work force. There were different rooms for the different stages of silk processing. Even today, silk is still being made, worked and exported to the rest of the world.
In 1789 San Leucio was given a, for the time revolutionary, code of law. The duties one had towards oneself, towards others, towards the king and towards the state were all laid down. Compulsory education for children and vaccinations against smallpox were introduced. There was institutional help for poor or sick workers. And there were fines for lawbreakers.
In the summer the Leuciana Festival is held at the Belvedere. There is an annual Festival of “Wine, Vineyards and Silk”.
Useful information
Address: Via Atrio Superiore, 81020 San Leucio, Caserta. Telephone: +39 0823301817 or 0823273151. Entrance fee Apartments, section Industrial Archaeology and Gardens: 6 Euro (discount 6-18 years: 3 Euro). Entrance fee Casa del Tessitore: 1 Euro. Opening hours: In summer from 09:30 to 18:00; in winter from 09:00 to 18:00. The ticket office closes one hour before closing time. Closed: Tuesday, Jan. 1; Easter (noon); Easter Monday; Ferragosto (Aug. 15); December 24 (noon); December 25; December 31 (noon).
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