Rome Trip Overview
The UNESCO World Heritage listed Royal Palace of Caserta started out as a royal boasting contest. King Charles VII of Bourbon wanted a palace to outshine the Palace of Versailles, so in 1752 he initiated the construction of the largest royal residence in the world. King Charles of Bourbon introduced reforms and kick-started the economy with hectic building activity. His most ambitious project was a palace to rival Versailles, and he commissioned the Neapolitan architect Luigi Vanvitelli with the job. Vanvitelli went for bigger is better. He designed a palace larger than any other royal palace in the world. The proportions are stunning. Walking to the 250m long facade can make anyone feel tiny and insignificant. And there are 1790 windows and 1200 rooms to underline this impression. King Charles night at the palace. He went on to become king of Spain, while Vanvitelli died before the structure was completed, leaving it to his son to finish the project.
Additional Info
Duration: 7 to 8 hours
Starts: Rome, Italy
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Rome, Lazio, Italy
The UNESCO World Heritage listed Royal Palace of Caserta started out as a royal boasting contest. King Charles VII of Bourbon wanted a palace to outshine the Palace of Versailles, so in 1752 he initiated the construction of the largest royal residence in the world. King Charles of Bourbon introduced reforms and kick-started the economy with hectic building activity. His most ambitious project was a palace to rival Versailles, and he commissioned the Neapolitan architect Luigi Vanvitelli with the job. Vanvitelli went for bigger is better. He designed a palace larger than any other royal palace in the world. The proportions are stunning. Walking to the 250m long facade can make anyone feel tiny and insignificant. And there are 1790 windows and 1200 rooms to underline this impression. King Charles night at the palace. He went on to become king of Spain, while Vanvitelli died before the structure was completed, leaving it to his son to finish the project.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Reggia di Caserta, Viale Douhet Reggia 2/A, 81100, Caserta Italy
The construction of the Royal Palace of Caserta was ordered in 1750 by Charles of Bourbon, just become autonomous from the Spanish motherland. The structure is an ancient royal palace located in Caserta, the largest royal residence in the world, in 1997 it was declared a UNESCO heritage site. It was built in full Italian Baroque style and finished in 1845. The palace is very large and covers 47000 square meters with its magnificent frescoes painted on the ceiling. Through the palace you can access the old apartment and the new apartment. The latter is made in full neoclassical style. Immediately after the apartments we find the picture gallery with a large art collection, high rooms full of paintings and works. Many paintings coming from the best artistic schools in Campania: from the Academy of Fine Arts, from the school of Salvator Rosa or from the portraits of the Bourbon court. In the elliptical room we find the Royal Nativity with a 40 square meter base, the Terrae Mothus collection is very important: here are collected works by great contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol. Outside the palace we find the Park, very large and full of fountains. There are 6 fountains and tanks dedicated to the gods of the Greek-Roman antiquity, within them we can also admire aquatic plants in excellent condition. Inside the park, the first is the Italian garden and the second is the English.
Duration: 3 minutes
