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The Caserta Palace, in Italian
Palazzo Reale di Caserta, is a palace and former Royal
residence in Caserta, near Naples, once used by the Kings of Naples.
It was the largest palace and probably the largest building erected
in Europe in the 18th century. In 1996, the Palace of Caserta was
listed among the World Heritage Sites on the ground that it was "the
swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque, from which it
adopted all the features needed to create the illusions of
multidirectional space". The
construction of the palace was begun in 1752 for Charles VII of
Naples, who worked closely with his architect Luigi Vanvitelli. When
King Carlo saw Vanvitelli's grandly-scaled model for Caserta it
filled him with emotion "fit to tear his heart from his breast". In
the end, he never slept a night at the Reggia, as he resigned from
the throne in 1759, and the project was carried to completion for
his third son and successor Ferdinand IV of Naples.
Behind the facades of its matching
segmental ranges of outbuildings that flank the giant forecourt, a
jumble of buildings arose to facilitate daily business. In the left
hand arc was built as barracks. Here, later, during World War II the
soldiers of the US Fifth Army recovered in a "rest centre".
Of all the royal residences
inspired by the Palace of Versailles, the Reggia of Caserta is the
one bearing the greatest resemblance to the original model: the
unbroken balustraded skyline, the slight break provided by pavilions
within the long, somewhat monotonous facade. As at Versailles, a
large aqueduct was required to bring water for the prodigious water
displays. Like its French predecessor, the palace was designed to be
the powerhouse of an absolute Bourbon monarchy in the true Baroque
fashion. Thus the enfilades of Late Baroque were the heart and seat
of government, as well as displays of national wealth. The palace
also provided suitable housing for the royal family and the court of
the Kingdom of Naples, the Palace housed the offices of government
bureaucracy a national library, a university, a national theatre,
all apart and free from the disorder and squalor of Naples. Thus the
King of Naples at caserta was free from the mob and factions of his
capital in the same way as Versailles had freed Louis XIV from
Paris. To provide the King with extra protection a barracks was also
housed within the precincts of the
palace. |
