Royal Palace in Caserta. Royal residence in caserta. Personal Security Hall

The Royal Palace of Caserta (Reggia di Caserta) is a palace with an adjacent park located in Caserta, 34 kilometers from Naples. It is the largest royal residence in the world in terms of floor space, and the historical owners of the palace were the Neapolitan Bourbons, except for a short period when Joachim Murat lived in it.

The construction of the Royal Palace of Caserta was begun by the King of Naples, Charles VII of Bourbon. He is better known in history as Charles III (Carlos III) - King of Spain since 1759. Before that, he managed to visit the Duke of Parma (under the name of Charles I) in 1731-1734 and the king of Naples and Sicily (under the name of Charles VII) in 1734-1759. He came from the Bourbon dynasty and was the son of Philip V and his 2nd wife, Elisabeth Farnese, and was a cousin of Louis XV. From his mother, Karl got the title of Duke of Parma. In 1734, Charles took possession of Naples and Sicily and, recognized in 1735 as their king, was forced to abandon Parma in favor of his brother Philip.
Under the influence of the ideas of the enlighteners and his minister Tanucci, Charles carried out a number of reforms in the Kingdom of Naples, which brought him great popularity. Charles brought with him from Parma to Naples the Farnese Art Gallery, now housed in the Capodimonte Museum. At this time, the monarchs preferred to live with their courts away from the capitals, in country residences like Versailles. Historically, the Neapolitan kings have lived in Spain since the 15th century, and the kingdom was ruled by viceroys. At first, Charles decided to build a suburban royal palace in Portici, but he soon realized that the location of the palace on the sea coast made it a convenient target for the enemy fleet, primarily English, they remembered the British naval expedition against Naples in 1742, and they had to lay a new royal residence deep in the peninsula.
Charles turned to the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, who at that time was busy restoring the Basilica of Loreto on behalf of the pope. Charles received permission from the Pope and attracted him to the construction of the palace. The king, meanwhile, had acquired the necessary square, where the sixteenth-century Acquaviva palace stood, from their heir to Duke Michelangelo Caetani, by paying 489,343 ducats.
The king asked that the project include, in addition to the building, a park, the adjacent urban area, with a scheme for a new aqueduct. The new palace was to be a symbol of Bourbon strength and grandeur, but also to be efficient and rational. Charles also wanted to move some administrative structures here, connecting it with the capital Naples by a monumental alley more than 20 km long. However, this plan was only partially implemented; not even the royal palace itself was completed with a dome and, originally planned, corner towers.
Vanvitelli arrived in Caserta in 1751 and immediately began designing the building to make it one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe. On November 22 of the same year, the architect presented the final design to the King of Naples for approval. Two months later, on January 20, 1752, on the king's birthday, the first stone of the palace was laid during a solemn ceremony in the presence of the royal family.
A year later, when the construction of the palace was already in full swing, the creation of the park began under the direction of Martin Biancourt from Paris. Work continued for several years, and some details were left unfinished. In 1759, after the death of his brother Ferdinand VI, Charles ascended the throne of Spain (under the name of Charles III) and left Naples. According to the international agreements in force at that time, upon accession to the Spanish throne, Charles renounced the Neapolitan in favor of his third son, the infant Ferdinand (Ferdinand IV of Naples).
After Vanvitelli's death in 1773, his son Carlo, also an architect, continued to work according to his father's design.

The Palace of Caserta becomes the royal residence of Ferdinand IV in 1767. He left the Royal Palace at Portici (between Naples and Pompeii) after the eruption of Vesuvius in 1767. Do not think that this volcano has been sleeping peacefully since 79. The last historical eruption of Mount Vesuvius occurred in 1944. One of the lava flows destroyed the cities of San Sebastiano and Massa. During the eruption, 27 people died. The height of the lava fountain from the central crater reached 800 m.
After the proclamation of the Republic of Naples in 1799, the buildings and other property of the royal family were expropriated. The palace building did not suffer serious damage, but it was robbed and a lot of valuable furniture was damaged.
In 1806, Napoleon captured the Kingdom of Naples and handed the crown to his brother Joseph Bonaparte (Italian: Giuseppe Buonaparte). The Bourbon royal family was forced to take refuge in Sicily, leaving their property in the peninsula, which passed into the hands of the new king. With the conquest of Spain in 1808, Joseph was sent there as the new king, and Joachim Murat took his place as King Joachim I of Naples. Murat always had a special fondness for the palace in Caserta, where he kept his court. You can read more about his fate in the article about the castle in Pizzo, where he ended his life.
After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Bourbon monarchy was restored in the new Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Later, the palace served as the residence of the Bourbon dynasty. In 1860, the kingdom was incorporated into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy and the palace fell into disrepair. It was inhabited by Emanuele Filiberto Duke of Aosta until Victor Emmanuel III handed it over to the Italian state in 1919.

The palace in Caserta is not inferior to the splendor of Versailles. This is the last of the majestic buildings in the Italian Baroque style. The main palace has 1,200 rooms, 25 luxurious royal suites and a grand staircase, known for having all 116 steps carved from a single piece of stone. Vanvitelli designed and built a luxurious aqueduct that brought water to many fountains and ponds. The theater was built on the model of the Neapolitan Teatro Carlo, and the whole complex is located in a wonderful park.

In the depths of the park were the barracks and the complex of the royal silk factory of San Levcio, disguised as a pavilion. The inhabitants of this area were forcibly relocated from here in order to free up the territory for the palace. Construction began in 1752, but the architect died before he could finish his creation. The work was continued by his son Carlo. King Charles IV did not have a chance to spend the night in this palace, since he became the king of Spain, but his son, Ferdinand IV of Naples, lived in the palace.

Royal Palace of Caserta, a place next to Naples (Italy) is one of the largest and most magnificent structures of its kind in Europe. It is believed that the model for the emergence of a huge complex was the French Versailles. Although connoisseurs of architecture agree that the vast royal building was the direct prototype of the building.

Designed by the Italian architect Filippo Yuvara. And, obviously, having a lot of features in common with Caserta. The massiveness and apparent heaviness of the appearance, by the way, is not the last of them.

Story

The Palace of Caserta was built for the Neapolitan crown in 1754-1780 by Luigi Vanvitelli. The indicated time period was a turning point in European architecture and represented the transition from lush baroque architecture to classical Greco-Roman designs. Therefore, it is not easy to immediately determine the style in which the building is decided.

The new palace complex became the main residence of the Neapolitan kings. Since the New Castle in Naples is located too close to the sea and therefore too vulnerable to enemy invasion.

Charles III of Bourbon, under whom the construction process began in the palace, never lived in it. And he even left Italy long before the completion of the project - in 1759 he became king of Spain. By the way, it was he who discovered the talent of the artist Francisco Goya to the world and laid the foundation for the creation of the now world-famous Prado Museum.

Dimensions and halls

Caserta Palace is a vast rectangle measuring 247 x 184 meters inside which there are 4 courtyards. The area of each of them (3,800 m2, 3.8 acres) is such that, if desired, parades can be held.

The palace itself has approximately 1,200 rooms, half of which are open to tourists. The height of the palace is 36 meters, it has 5 floors! By the number of useful square meters inside, it is considered one of the largest in Europe.

The interior decoration was originally luxurious and has come down to our time in very good condition.

Visitors will be able to climb the truly royal grand staircase of the Scala Reggia. And then take a walk through the private and ceremonial chambers (dozens of rooms are available) of the Neapolitan monarchs. See the art gallery, which consists mainly of portraits, and visit the palace theater, designed in an unusual way. If necessary, the back wall of the stage is removed, revealing the park as a scenery to the viewer.

Perhaps, one should only be afraid of falling pieces of plaster from the outside, since due to lack of money for maintenance, the grandiose architectural monument has become a little dilapidated.

The main palace park in terms of the number and quality of fountains can be considered a direct competitor of the Russian Peterhof near St. Petersburg ! Imagine a three-kilometer arrow of a canal that rises from the palace to the hill. And there, at the top, it is crowned with the Grand Cascade and the Diana and Actaeon fountain. There is also a botanical garden, called "English".

Filmography

The Palace of Caserta, as well as the park, have been protected by UNESCO since 1997 as a World Heritage Site. Which does not prevent the use of luxurious interiors and exteriors in the filming of various films.

Filmmakers sometimes just live in the palace and park. For example, episodes of Star Wars were filmed here (the residence of Princess Amidala) and Tom Cruise drove a motorcycle in Mission Impossible 3. The cardinals walked along the Scala Reggia. In the film "Angels and Demons" she easily passed for a colleague from.

The incomparable Vivien Leigh also ran here. No, not in Gone with the Wind. The film Lady Hamilton was filmed in Caserta, and Lee played the famous beloved of Admiral Nelson (Laurence Olivier). The English naval commander at one time commanded a squadron in the Mediterranean Sea, which was based in Naples. And he often attended receptions in the royal palace.

Opening hours, tickets

Opening hours: 8.30-19.00 (apartments), 9.00-18.00 (exhibitions), 8.30-18.00 (summer, park and gardens). The palace is closed on Tuesdays, December 25 and January 1.
Ticket price: 12 € palace and park, 9 € - only apartments, 3 € - after 17 hours; children 0-17 years old are admitted free of charge
Official website: reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it

How to get there

Getting to Caserta from Naples is easy! We take a train to Rome (Napoli Centrale station - Piazza Garibaldi), after about half an hour we get off at the desired station. From the same Piazza Garibaldi, you can take the CTP bus, which will take you to the place in 1 hour.

By car from Rome, we move along the A1 motorway (exit Caserta nord). From Naples, Salerno or Bari, take the A30 motorway (exit Caserta sud). You can park your car in Caserta at Piazza Carlo III right next to the train station.

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Caserta is an Italian city that has gained popularity among tourists thanks to the legendary Royal Palace (Reggia di Caserta), which is also called the Versailles of Italy. The architectural ensemble is the largest building built in Europe (Europe) in the XVIII century.

The origin of Caserta remains a mystery to historians. The settlement existed here even before the arrival of the Romans. The Lombards, who conquered Caserta in the 18th century, laid the foundation for the future city. The tower in the center served as an observation point. Today, the historic structure is the prefectural palace.

In the 11th century, the city was already in Norman power. By 1268, the era of the Angevin dynasty began, and in 1734, as a result of the War of Polish Succession (1733-1735), Caserta fell under the rule of the younger branch of the Bourbon dynasty - the Neapolitan Bourbons (Borbone di Napoli). This time is considered the peak of the development of Caserta. In 1750, Charles VII of Bourbon (Charles VII of Naples) decides to build a new residence. She was supposed to be located near (Naples), but away from the sea - so that the royals would not be disturbed by French ships.

Charles VII wanted the new palace to be grander than any European palace. He especially wanted to surpass the French Versailles (Versailles). The architect was hiccupped for a long time, but the final choice fell on Luigi Vanvitelli.

The master arrived in Caserta only in 1751. He worked on the drawings of the palace for more than six months. By November, the project was ready. The first stone was laid in January 1752, on the birthday of Charles VII. The park began to break a year later. Understanding the enormity of the project, Vanvitelli enlisted the help of promising Roman architects.

Judging by the surviving documents, the following people worked on the construction:

458 guards;
Lots of locals;
Convicts (165 people);
245 Turks.

In fact, the term "Turks" served as a designation of the religious affiliation of the slaves, most of whom were brought from North Africa. Construction was planned to be completed 10 years later, but in 1759 Charles VII left Italy, and all the affairs of the construction of the palace fell on his successors. Vanvitelli died in 1779, after which the architect's son Carlo Vanvitelli took charge of the building.

The palace was already inhabited by 1780, but construction work continued until 1845.

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Structure and appearance

The palace in Caserta is represented by a rectangle, inside of which there are four spacious courtyards. The division into sectors is decided by cross passes. The median arches in the cross walls serve as passages from one courtyard to another. The length of the facade is 247 meters, the adjacent walls are 185 meters.

The Caserti Palace has 5 floors, the height of the building is 36 meters. The whole complex has about 1200 rooms, of which only half is accessible to the public.

The main attractions of the complex are:

Territorial Museum;
Opera Museum;
Art Gallery.

To the right, in the central hall, visitors are greeted by a symmetrical marble staircase. The right side leads to the Palatine Chapel (Cappella Palatina), the left - to a number of vast halls. This part of the palace is harmoniously designed in the style of baroque and classicism. From the top of the stairs, you can see the opposite wall, decorated with three niches.

By the end of the construction of the palace in Caserta, the fashion for baroque splendor came to naught, and the imitation of the style of Versailles was completed. Therefore, the new halls were made in the Empire style.

Park and botanical garden

As well as in France (Versailles), a large park is laid out at the palace. A cascade of fountains is equipped here, shady alleys are spread out, gardens are green, terraces are broken. It stretches for 3 km to the north. The park area is spread out as a cascade of fountains and alleys down the slope. There is also a botanical (English) garden. It was designed by Carlo Vanvitelli and John Greifer.

The fountain of Diana and Aktion, dolphins, Venus and Adonis stands out in particular. Decorating the park with various sculptures gives it a special flavor.

The park is divided into 2 large areas:

There was a small auditorium in front of the palace;
Further north, even during the time of the Neapolitan Bourbons, an English-style landscape park was laid out.

After the death of Luigi Vanvitelli, his son Carlo wanted to keep his father's idea when creating the park. Its territory expanded extensively to the northwest, which significantly increased construction costs. That is why there were 6 fountains instead of 19.

A network of paths leads the visitor to the hexagonal tower. This is a small castle (Castelluccia) in which the king rested after the end of the hunt. To the west of the parterre is the Old Forest (Bosco Vecchio). He was here before the castle was built. To the north of the old forest, a pool was equipped in which fish was grown.

The stalls are followed by a cascade of fountains - Margarita - made quite simply. It has 4 pools in series. The perspective ends with the Grand Cascade. The water coming from the aqueduct pours from a height of 82 meters. Below is a vast pool, around which a mythological scene unfolds: Diana, who is about to bathe in the company of Actaeon and the nymphs.

If you head east, the park paths will lead to the English Garden (Giardino Inglese). Plants for the garden were collected from different areas of the kingdom. An apiary (Aperia) was built at the northernmost point of the park. Under the French, bees were bred here, which explains the name of the attraction.

How to get there

From Naples

You can get to the city by train from Naples from the Napoli Centrale station. He goes every half hour. The trip takes 46 minutes. The ticket costs 3.1 euros.

From Rome

From Rome to Caserta, trains depart from. The duration of the trip is 1 hour 8 minutes, and the cost of tickets is from 34 to 47.1 euros. If you buy tickets in advance, the price is much lower. We recommend buying any train ticket in Italy and checking the current schedule only on.

Hotels

When visiting the Royal Palace of Caserta, you can stay in one of the hotels. The price for renting a room depends on the location and type of hostel (3, 4 stars, bed + breakfast).

3 stars

Hotel Amadeus

The Hotel Amadeus is just 200 meters from Caserta Station. The Royal Palace is no more than 500 meters away. Each room is equipped with a private bathroom. Breakfast is served daily.

Hotel Caserta Antica

Caserta Antica is set on a hillside, between 2 medieval villages. Caserta is a 15-minute drive. It offers a large outdoor swimming pool.

4 stars

Grand Hotel Vanvitelli

The Grand Hotel Vanvitelli is located near the airport and the city center can be reached by car in 5 minutes. The elegant rooms, designed in Baroque style, are spacious and roomy. On the roof there is a swimming pool surrounded by green trees. The hotel is located in a historic building. Amenities include a minibar and satellite TV channels. Many rooms open onto large balconies. The hotel's swimming pool is set in a garden with fountains.

It is located almost around the corner. The train station is located 50 meters from the hotel. For 10 euros you can park your car in a paid parking lot.

B&B and apartments

From the hotel to the Royal Palace can be reached by car - it is located 5 km from the residence of the Neapolitan kings. Guests have free use of car parking and barbecue facilities.

B&B Montalbano

The cozy Montalbano bed and breakfast apartment has a terrace with picturesque views of Mount Vesuvius. Comfortable apartments with free Wi-Fi and views and air conditioning will appeal to every tourist.

Resting in Pozzuoli, near Naples, after a trip to the island of Ischia, we wanted to take a walk in the park. There is a lot of tension here with beautiful parks, but there is one place where a walking alley with fountains and waterfalls stretches for 3 km! A sort of Italian Versailles. Now I will tell about it.

The city of Caserta is located in southern Italy, 40 km north of Naples, on the edge of the Campania Valley. Caserta is the administrative center of the province of the same name - a developed industrial, agricultural and commercial city, a transport hub. About 80,000 people live here.

In the city center is the main attraction, a UNESCO site - the residence of Reggia di Caserta - the palace of the Neapolitan kings. The Royal Palace of Caserta is considered the largest building built in Europe in the 18th century.

The city itself is nothing of interest. On the way from Naples, one town smoothly flows into another. The views are not impressive at all. But everything changes when you drive up to the palace!

How to get to Caserta?

The easiest way to get here is by train. From Naples there is a train from Napoli Centrale about every 30 minutes for about €10 to Caserta station. Travel time 40 minutes.

It makes no sense to go here from Rome, but suddenly you want to. The train leaves from Termini station. You need to go to the station Caserta. Travel time is 1 hour 10 minutes and the ticket costs about €35.

Hint from reader Irina: In Italy, you can easily buy a cheap ticket in any direction. Trenitalia.com has good rates. The main thing is to buy in advance. Of course, many people buy right on the day of the trip, then, yes, it's a little expensive. But in advance from 9 euros from Rome to Caserta.

We scored a parking lot in the navigator right under the lawn in front of the palace. It was Sunday, 9 am. The parking lot was empty. It costs €1 per hour. Not expensive at all by Italian standards.

Entrance to the palace

I don’t know why, but on this day the entrance to the park was free. The park is open from 8:30 to 19:00, in winter until 15:30.

Entrance fees:

€14. Includes historical apartments, gallery, Terrae Motus exhibition, park and English garden.
€10 only entrance to the park and English garden.

Tuesday is a day off.

A little about the palace

Today, in Caserta, the royal chambers, the art gallery and the former court theater are open to the public. There are two expositions in the building: the Territorial Museum and the Opera Museum.

The most striking element of the interior of the palace is the marble front staircase with 116 steps. To the right of the stairs is the Palatine Chapel with spectacular decoration of colored marble and stucco plaster; with nadaltar painting by Giuseppe Bonito "The Immaculate Conception". To the left is a grandiose suite of halls.

Magnificent rooms follow one after another: the halls of the Halberdiers and Bodyguards; the Alexander Room with a fresco by Mariano Rossi. Next are the royal chambers - New and Old apartments. The old apartments culminate in the Oval Hall; in the middle of the New is the Throne Room - the largest and most impressive in the entire palace.

But we came to see the park! It was getting on by noon. It's time to take a walk.

palace park

Park plan

Walk in the park

I would divide the park into 3 parts:

The park itself. Some lawns without flowers and few trees.
Alley with fountains
Climbing uphill along the cascade of waterfalls.

The first part of the park was not impressive. Exhausting heat, little shade.

Did you know?

The Palace of Caserta has been a location for filming more than once. Episodes of Star Wars, Mission: Impossible 3, and Angels & Demons were filmed here.

History Page

The construction of the palace began in 1752, by order of the King of Naples and Sicily, Charles VII (Carlos III of Bourbon). Built earlier on the coast at Portici, the summer royal residence was too vulnerable to attacks from the sea. In addition, its location did not allow setting up a full-scale park nearby. The new palace was to surpass the most significant European residences in size and luxury.

The work was entrusted to Luigi Vanvitelli. The architect took the grandiose Palace of Versailles as the basis of the project. The task before Vanvitelli was difficult. Caserta was intended to become a "city within a city", to accommodate many royal apartments, court and government, all kinds of services. A total of 1200 different rooms were created. When the model of the future giant palace was presented to Charles VII, the monarch was delighted.

The rectangular palace complex, with external dimensions of 247 by 184 m, was oriented with facades to the four cardinal points. Four courtyards were hidden behind the outer wings, separated by inner buildings forming a cross. At the crossroads of these buildings, through passages and galleries were arranged for a convenient transition to different parts of the palace. The work was completed in 1780 by the son of the architect, Carlo Vanvitelli.

spotted kitty

Part 3 - cascades of waterfalls

The last part is the most exciting. A steep winding staircase leads us to the farthest and highest point of the park. At the top begins a cascade of waterfalls. From there you have a panoramic view of the city. Being at the top, you don’t understand how you managed to overcome such a distance in the same breath in the heat. Measured the height - 217 meters!

Total

We spent €11 on petrol from Pozzuoli, €5 on ice cream and €5 on parking = €21 for two :-)

Caserta is a good place to take your mind off dirty Naples, take a break from the sea or warm up after a week of doing nothing on the beach. The park is worth a full day. In the heat of the day, you can cool off in the cool halls of the palace and look at the excellent collection of paintings.

Alternatively, you can come here from Rome with an overnight stay. Check out hotels in the city. And the next day to leave for the island of Ischia, by the way, read my report on the island.

What do you think of this park? Have you been there? What did I miss important? Write in the comments below.

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