CASERTA

 

 


When we speak of caserta in the middle ages, we refer to caserta vecchia, the small town we have just visited. The new town, simply called caserta, which is one of the most prosperous and thriving provincial centres in campania, at that time did not even exist. it was Charles III of Bourbon who, in the eighteeth century, decided to build the "versailles" of his kingdom in this fertile region of the "terra di lavoro", which at that period was not easily accessible.
Caserta is in fact his royal palace. this architectural masterpiece was designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, and comprises 1.200 rooms connected by 34 staircases and illuminated by 1.970 windows.
From above, we can see a vast neoclassical facade and four courtyards divided by two sections of the palace crossing each other at right angles. Gallery slaves and mohammedan prisoners were employed in its construction. with the refined elegance of its style, the royal palace is an outstanding example of the taste and decorative skills which characterized a period of high civilisation in naples. Unfortunately, our bird's eye view allows us only to guess at the breathtaking theatrical effects of the grand staircases, the vaulted ceilings with their frescoes, the sight of the apartments stretching away, exquisitely decorated by the most accomplished neapolitan artists of the day, nor can we admire the little court theatre, a veritable gem, in which works by paisiello and cimarosa were performed. in compensation for this loss, however, our vantage point enables us to take in the entire grandiose sweep of the great park forming part of the royal estate. It is three kilometres long and it is divided down the centre by the watercourse of a monumental fountain, whose ascent stars slightly above on the slope of the hill, at the boundary of the park, where there is a delightful artificial waterfall spanned by the picturesque bridge of hercules. Further above, there is the dolphins' waterfall, whose waters plunge into the fountain of aeolus, adorned with numerous statues, and still furter up, there is the fountain of ceres and the fountain of venus and adonis, designed by Salomone. Finally, there is the great waterfall with its two marble groups showing actaeon at the moment of being transformed by the goddess Diana into a stag. Walking along beside the cascade, we can reach the caroline aqueduct, which was also designed by Vanvitelli. according to the initial project, which was never completely carried out, the water of these cascades was to have reached the queen's baths, supplied the two military establishments flanking the palace where the munitions were stored ( the "regie palle" or "royal cannonballs" ), and finally run parallel to the great Naples road, thus making it possible to reach the Royal Palace of capodimonte by boat.
Concealed among the trees in the wood, we can glimpse the castelluccio, a nineteenth century "mediaeval" folly. There remains to point out the large fishpond and the two marvellous botanical areas, both rich in rare and exotic plants the english garden and the wood of S. Silvestro.

 

Caserta - Reggia Di Caserta