The Royal Palace of Caserta: history and facts

A capital for the Bourbons

In the mid-eighteenth century Charles of Bourbon, King of Naples, decided to build a new royal palace on the plain of Caserta, away from the sea and the city. The design was entrusted to Luigi Vanvitelli, and the first stone was laid on 20 January 1752. Charles left Naples in 1759 to become King of Spain, and the work went on under his son Ferdinand; after Luigi Vanvitelli died in 1773, his own son Carlo took charge.

Facts and figures

First stone	20 January 1752
Storeys	5
Height	42 metres
Rooms	About 1,400
Grand Staircase	116 steps of Trapani marble
Via d’Acqua (water way) in the park	About 3 km
Grand Cascade	82-metre drop
English Garden	23 hectares

Not to miss inside the palace

• The Grand Staircase, with its two marble lions and the 116 steps that rise to the Upper Vestibule.
• The Palatine Chapel, opened at Christmas 1784.
• The Court Theatre, opened in 1769 and open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 13:00.
• The Throne Room, decorated between 1811 and 1845.

The UNESCO site

In 1997 UNESCO added the eighteenth-century Royal Palace to the World Heritage List, together with the park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli and the San Leucio complex. The four places are linked: the aqueduct carries water to the fountains in the park, and San Leucio was the silk colony founded by the Bourbons. The other two stops are in our Around Caserta section.

From Royal Palace B&B

The B&B is in a historic building in the centre of Caserta, a short walk from the Royal Park and 1.4 km from the palace’s main entrance. For an unhurried visit that also takes in San Leucio and the aqueduct, stay at least two nights.