---
title: "Carolino Aqueduct and Ponti della Valle: how to see them"
description: "The Carolino Aqueduct feeds the Royal Palace of Caserta’s Grand Cascade. The Ponti della Valle, three tiers of arches 60 metres high, can be seen for free."
url: https://royalpalacecaserta.it/en/around-caserta/carolino-aqueduct/
lang: en
---

# The Carolino Aqueduct and the Ponti della Valle

To supply the fountains of the Royal Palace with water, Luigi Vanvitelli built an aqueduct 38 kilometres long. Its most striking stretch is the Ponti della Valle, three tiers of arches 60 metres high.

Updated November 3, 2026 Royal Palace B&B

 

*The Ponti della Valle on the Carolino Aqueduct*

The Ponti della Valle on the Carolino Aqueduct Photo [Kris De Curtis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CarolingianAcqueduct.jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), Wikimedia Commons

## In brief

-   38 km long, begun in 1753 to a design by Luigi Vanvitelli.
-   The Ponti della Valle, at Valle di Maddaloni, have three tiers of arches: 60 metres high and about 500 long.
-   You can see them for free, without a ticket.
-   Part of the Royal Palace of Caserta UNESCO site.

## An aqueduct for the king’s fountains

The fountains of the Royal Park needed a great deal of water, and the plain of Caserta had none. So Luigi Vanvitelli designed an aqueduct 38 kilometres long that collects water at the foot of Monte Taburno and carries it all the way to the Grand Cascade. Work began in 1753. Today the Carolino Aqueduct, named after Charles of Bourbon (Carlo in Italian), is part of the UNESCO site together with the Royal Palace and San Leucio.

## The Ponti della Valle

To cross the valley between Monte Longano and Monte Garzano, at Valle di Maddaloni, Vanvitelli built a bridge with three tiers of arches, one above the other: 60 metres high and about 500 long. It is one of the great aqueduct bridges of Europe, and you can see it close up without a ticket.

## How to see them

The Ponti della Valle are reached by car from Caserta. The best time is late afternoon, when the low light warms the arches. Combine the visit with San Leucio, on the opposite side of town, or with Casertavecchia.

## From Royal Palace B&B

Once you have seen the Grand Cascade in the park, the Ponti della Valle show you where its water comes from. You set off from our private car park without driving through any restricted traffic zones (ZTL).

## Frequently asked questions

### ### Do I need a ticket to see the Ponti della Valle?

No. You can see the Ponti della Valle freely from the road and the surrounding area.

### ### What does the aqueduct have to do with the Royal Palace?

It was built to bring water to the Royal Park: it feeds the Via d’Acqua (water way) and the Grand Cascade, as well as San Leucio.

## Sources

-   [UNESCO, Royal Palace at Caserta, Aqueduct of Vanvitelli and San Leucio](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/549)

 

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Where to stay

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-   1.4 km from the Royal Palace of Caserta
-   A short walk from the Royal Park
-   Private on-site parking
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## Read next

[All places around Caserta](https://royalpalacecaserta.it/en/around-caserta/)

[*San Leucio* November 3, 2026 San Leucio and the Belvedere: the silk colony](https://royalpalacecaserta.it/en/around-caserta/san-leucio/) [*Casertavecchia* November 3, 2026 Casertavecchia, the medieval village on the hill](https://royalpalacecaserta.it/en/around-caserta/casertavecchia/) [*Day trips* November 3, 2026 Naples, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast from Caserta](https://royalpalacecaserta.it/en/around-caserta/naples-pompeii-amalfi-coast/)