The Royal Palace of Caserta (Italian:
Reggia di Caserta) is a
former royal residence in
Caserta, constructed for the
Bourbon kings of Naples.
One of the most sumptuous royal
palaces in Europe.
The construction of the palace
was begun in 1752 for Charles
VII of Naples, who worked
closely with his architect Luigi
Vanvitelli.
The reasons for building the
Palace were to have a new
magnificent administrative
capital of the Kingdom in
Caserta and to protect the court
from possible attacks from the
sea. The King also decided to
build a theatre, a large library,
and a university. The Palace
might have been a splendid place
for court ceremonies, too.
As finished, the palace has some
1,200 rooms, two dozen state
apartments, and a royal theatre
modelled after the Teatro San
Carlo of Naples.
The Park: The garden, a typical
example of the baroque extension
of formal vistas, stretch for
120 ha, partly on hilly terrain.
It is inspired by the park of
Versailles, but it is commonly
regarded as superior in beauty.
The park starts from the back
façade of the palace, flanking a
long alley with artificial
fountains and cascades. There is
an English garden in the upper
part designed in the 1780s by
Carlo Vanvitelli and the
London-trained
plantsman-designer John Graefer,
recommended to Sir William
Hamilton by Sir Joseph Banks.
