The Royal Palace of Caserta is one of the most visited cultural sites by international tourism, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is recognised as one of the most majestic palaces ever built. Commissioned by Charles of Bourbon in the mid-eighteenth century to compete with the most beautiful royal residences in Europe and entrusted to the brilliant designs of Vanvitelli, the Reggia is an immense five-storey structure, rich in glittering Baroque, with 1200 rooms, 34 staircases and 1200 windows.
The main entrance overlooks Piazza Carlo III, from which you can see the beauty of the perfectly symmetrical façade. Entering the Reggia and walking through the monumental atrium, the Scalone d’Onore (Staircase of Honour) opens up, characterised by elegant vaults and polychrome marble decorating the entire room. The first flight of stairs, carved from a single block of cipolin marble, leads to a landing where the statue of the Royal Majesty, depicting King Charles on the back of a lion, is located, and then divides into two parallel flights leading to the first floor in front of the Palatine Chapel.
Richly decorated, the Chapel is more like a reception room than a place of prayer and here, more than anywhere else in the Palace, there are strong references to the style of Versailles. Leaving the Chapel, you can visit the royal flats, characterised by luxurious salons and the Opera Museum, where the history of the city is illustrated through objects, paintings and frescoes.
There is also a wing completed only in 1816 and called the New Apartment.
On the lower floor, visit the Teatrino di Corte, a perfect miniature reproduction of the San Carlo Theatre in Naples. The theatre is the only room in the palace that Vanvitelli saw completed.
The park of the Royal Palace of Caserta
The Reggia has an enormous and beautiful park, which combines elements of the Italian and French formal gardens: in the morning or late afternoon, the walk to the Margherita Fountain, flanked by groves of holm oaks and hornbeams, is breathtaking.
An enjoyable day out is the renowned Reggia di Caserta. It is far only 36 kilometres from Naples.
