The Royal Palace of Caserta is known as the Reggia. It was designed by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, who was commissioned by the Bourbon ruler Charles III to work on it for no less than 20 years. In 1774, his son Ferdinand IV moved into the castle. It consists of a huge palace, a large park and an “English Garden”.
A brief history of the Reggia di Caserta
The great inspiration for the Reggio was Versailles. The rectangular palace has no fewer than 1200 rooms. There is a huge park and four interconnected courtyards. The Reggio is less well maintained than its French counterpart, which can already be seen from the outside by the ugly graffitti on its outer walls.
In 1751, Carlo III of Bourbon decided to build a palace that would rival the residences of other European monarchs. The countryside near Caserta was chosen as the location and Luigi Vanvitelli as the architect.
The foundation stone was laid on January 20, 1752. Work was not completed until 1774, a year after the architect’s death. Vanvitelli’s son Carlo eventually completed the work.
Luigi Vanvitelli is not the architect’s real name. Although born in Naples, he has a Dutch father, and his real name is Lodewijk van Wittel. However, in order to work in Italy, it was necessary to change his surname a bit.
When Carlo III went to Madrid in 1759 to be crowned King of Spain, his son Ferdinando IV succeeded him. He had the Reggio extended further and moved in in 1780. In the summer he used to host large parties there.
Later, the palace became part of the possessions of the royal family and since 1921 it is the property of the Italian state.
During World War II the Allies had their headquarters in the Reggio and it was also here that German troops in Italy finally surrendered in April 1945.
The Reggio has been used very often as a setting for films, including such great successes as Star Wars and Mission Impossible III.
What to see in the Reggia di Caserta
Highlights include the grand staircase and baroque-style royal rooms. The English Gardens located in the park are also world famous.
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is preceded by the oval Piazza Carlo III. The facade is 253 meters long and 41 meters high. The sides are 202 meters long. It consists of six floors and a basement. There are 1200 rooms, 34 staircases and 1790 windows in the building.
On the balustrade above the highest floor there should have been a row of statues. However, this idea was never implemented.
Through the central gate one enters an atrium. Here begins a long corridor consisting of three naves that leads to the entrance of the park. The side naves lead to four courtyards. Because of its shape, the central nave has been nicknamed the “telescope.”
Halfway up this cannocchiale is a vestibule. Here begins the 116-step Scalone d’Onore (“Stairs of Honor”). This is graced with two marble lions and statues depicting “Majesty,” “Truth” and “Merit.”
Royal Apartments and Cappella Palatina
This staircase ends at a second vestibule. Here are the Cappella Palatina and the Royal Apartments.
The rectangular Cappella Palatina is inspired by the one in Versailles and ends in a semi-circular apse.
The Royal Apartments are located to the left of the chapel. Through the Sala degli Alabardieri (“Halbardiers”) and the Sala delle Guardie del Corpo (“Bodyguards”) one enters the Sala di Alessandro. This served as the throne room of Gioacchino Murat, who was king of Naples in the Napoleonic era from 1808 to 1815.
The rooms to the right of the throne room date from the 19th century. This later part is therefore called Appartamento Nuovo. It is characterized by an abundance of ornamental plasterwork and gold decorations. Ferdinando II wanted to have his throne room here. The fresco on the ceiling was created by Maldarelli and shows the laying of the foundation stone for the palace. In another room in this section one can admire the bedroom of Ferdinando II, with a beautiful marble bathroom. The apartment of Murat ends in his private chapel.
The section to the left of the Sala di Alessandro was built in the 18th century. Carlo Vanvitelli worked on it from 1779 to 1790. He had help from a large group of artists.
The first four rooms are named after the seasons. The “Spring Hall” is decorated with paintings by Hackert. The frescoes in the “Winter Hall” were painted by Fischetti. This is followed by the study of Ferdinando IV and the “Salon of the King.”
The next three rooms are taken up by the ten-thousand-volume library. This is followed by an oval-shaped room, where one can view the “Royal Nativity Scene.” Some of the figures in this stable date from the 18th century. The series of rooms that follows is graced with paintings depicting contemporary characters and events.
The horseshoe-shaped Teatro di Corte (“Court Theatre”) was designed by Vanvitelli only later, commissioned by Ferdinando IV. It has six stands, one of which, the royal one, is extremely luxurious.
Pinacotheque
The Pinacotheque is divided into multiple sections. Eight rooms feature prototypes of both the French and Italian portions of the Bourbon royal family. One room is entirely dedicated to Carlo III, with a portrait of himself, one of his wife Maria Amalia and one of Philip V. The room dedicated to Ferdinando IV is full of portraits of himself and his wife Maria Carolina (one of which was painted by Raffaello Mengs).
Many paintings were originally part of the Farnese collection. These, along with a number of antique sculptures, were purchased by Carlo III. They include a huge statue of Hercules and a marble sculpture group depicting the coronation of Pope Alexander Farnese. Part of the collection of paintings has events from the life of Elisabetta Farnese as its subject. Another group of artworks depicts battle scenes.
A large group of paintings depicts harbor views of parts of the kingdom. The Austrian artist Philipp Hackert was commissioned to paint these by King Ferdinando.
Museo dell’Opera
The Museo dell’Opera occupies one wing of the palace. Here one can see Vanvitelli’s designs, sketches and plans for the palace itself. The wooden models of the Reggia made by Antonio Rosz are also interesting.
Park
The park itself has a length of three kilometers and ends at an artificially created waterfall flanked by sculpure groups. You can cover this distance by minibus, but it is much more fun to rent a bike or walk.
It is a typical Italian garden, with wide fields, square flowerbeds and a succession of fountains.
The fountains
The first fountain is the Fontana del Canalone. It is also called the Cascata dei Delfini, since the water jets spout from the throats of three enormous dolphins.
Next is the impressive Fontana di Eolo, named after the God of the wind Aeolus.
The Fontana di Cerere (“Fountain of Ceres”) is dedicated to the Goddess of arable farming. The central statue depicts the deity herself. Two dolphins, four tritons and the personifications of two rivers spray the water into the basin.
From the Fountain of Venus and Adonis, the water runs down in twelve stages to end in a large basin. This Basin of Diana and Aktaion is located at the bottom of a 78-meter-high waterfall. Aktaion was a hunter who by chance saw the goddess Diana bathing naked. The Goddess turned him into a deer for punishment, upon which he was torn apart by his own hunting dogs.
English Garden
Part of the park is taken up by the so-called “English Garden” (Giardino Inglese). This was commissioned by Maria Carolina of Austria. The flowerbeds, avenues and greenhouses of this garden follow the slopes of the terrain and are characterized by rare and exotic plants.
The garden is full of imitation ruins. There is also a small, artificially created lake (il Bagno di Venere, or the “Bath of Venus”). There are statues everywhere, some of which are from the excavations of Pompeii.
Useful information
Address: Viale Douhet, 2/a – 81100 Caserta. Telephone: +39 0823448084 or 0823277380. Public transport: The Reggio is just a 5-minute walk from Caserta railway station. Opening hours: Apartments: 8.30am to 7.30pm. Park: 8.30 to 14.30 in winter, after which it stays open progressively longer, until no later than 18.00 in July and August. Closed: Tuesday, January 1, Easter Monday, May 1, December 25. Admission fee: 12 Euro (6 Euro with discount).
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