Former residence of the Bourbon royal family a NAPLES, the Royal Palace of Caserta is a monumental group classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built north of Naples, on an area of ​​5 hectares, and its dimensions are impressive. Find out here all the practical information to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta.
What to see and do in the Royal Palace of Caserta
If you visit the Royal Palace of Caserta, you will have as much to see inside as outside the Palace! The first thing that strikes the eye is its size.
The palace it was conceived to compete with the most beautiful palaces of the great rulers of the time. In fact, it included 1200 rooms, over 34 stairs and 240 windows in the facades, 1742 windows in total! It is one of the most sumptuous and most visited Italian monuments.
As a curiosity for movie lovers: the Royal Palace of Caserta has been the scene of several films such as Mission Impossible 3, Star Wars or the Da Vinci Code, to name a few of the most famous. So, during the visit, true cinema fans can try to find the places that served as a stage.
Royal Palace of Caserta: the interiors
It is a majestic palace with 3 parallel buildings, each connected by 3 others, perpendicular. Thus, the whole structure forms 4 rectangular courtyards. This arrangement allows maximum illumination of each of the 1200 rooms.
Access was facilitated by numerous corridors and stairways, including the monumental double staircase leading to the royal apartments.
Its magnificent interior takes a long time for its true appreciation, since its 1200 rooms, not to mention patios and galleries, and the splendor of its decoration, cannot be captured in its entirety in a fleeting visit. A good option to visit the palace is in the low season, when it is less crowded.
During the visit you will appreciate numerous royal apartments, which retain much of the original decoration. The rooms are decorated with fine marble floors, the walls richly decorated with beautiful paintings and large chandeliers hang from the ceiling which is usually painted with enchanting allegorical frescoes of the ruling family.
The highlights of the visit:
- The remarkable floors of the Hall of Astrea, the Hall of Mars and the Throne Room,
- The atrium, the grand staircase and the chapel, simply impressive
- The staircase that connects the lower vestibule to the upper vestibule, from which you reach the royal apartments
- The Palatine Chapel
- The court theater
- The numerous and fabulous paintings of the Pinacoteca
- “The old apartment” where the Bourbon crib is exhibited
- The Palatine Library, annexed to the Queen's apartments
- The rooms dedicated to the four seasons
The park of the Royal Palace of Caserta
After visiting the interior of the Royal Palace of Caserta it is time to stroll in the park, full of fountains and waterfalls, all sumptuous. AND the perfect example of the "Italian garden", with vast lawns, square flower beds and, above all, fountains and exceptional water features.
To supply the basins with water, a long aqueduct was built by Vanvitelli. As you walk along the central axis, you will be fascinated by the pools, fountains and large sculptures that surround it.
Do not miss:
- The Fountain of the Three Dolphins
- The fountain of Eole
- The fountain of Ceres
- The fountain of Venus and Adonis
- The fountain of Diana and Actaeon
The park extends to the top of the hill, at the rear of the palace, and then gives way to a wonderful English garden, much less symmetrical, where nature seems to have regained its rights.
History of the Royal Palace of Caserta
The Royal Palace of Caserta was one residence of the royal family of the Bourbons of Naples. The construction of this palace, which is the largest royal residence in the world in terms of volumes, began in 1752 and ended in 1780.
The project was launched by Charles of Bourbon, king of the Two Sicilies, and entrusted to the architect Luigi Vanvitelli, in order to rival the Palace of Versailles and Royal Palace of Madrid.
Vanvitelli was not only responsible for the design of the Baroque-style palace but also of the gardens. After his death, his son and later other architects took part in the construction of the Palace.
Charles of Bourbon never managed to see the finished palace because he had to reach Madrid and occupy the Spanish throne. It was his son, Fernando VI, who finally saw the palace and chose it as a summer residence, while his wife MarĂa Carolina took care of the decoration. You can see the difference in style between the rooms that belonged to the king and those occupied by the queen, which has also collected an important art gallery.
The Royal Palace of Caserta remained in the hands of the successive monarchs of Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until, after the creation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, the Bourbon monarchy ended and the palace became the property of Savoy House. King Vittorio Emanuele III donated it to the Italian people in 1919 and it is now a museum open to the public.
The palace was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
Buy your ticket hereRoyal Palace of Caserta: how to get there
By car
Se rent a car to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta, from Naples take the A30 motorway, which will take you to your destination in about 40 minutes. You will find public parking and many free spaces in the streets around the station, near the building.
By train
The train is a quick and easy way to reach the Royal Palace of Caserta from Naples. All you have to do is go to Napoli Centrale station and take the Naples-Caserta line for around € 6. The building is located about 400 meters in front of the railway station, on the other side of the main square Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Buy your train ticket here
By bus
There are several buses that connect Naples and the palace (they depart from both the port and the Naples airport). It costs about € 15 return for an adult. You will also find a bus to the palace at Roma Termini or Fiumicino airport.
Excursions
Finally, many excursions I am also at your disposal if you want to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta from Rome. You will be offered the train ride from Rome and a guided tour to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta and discover all its secrets.
Royal Palace of Caserta: opening hours
Il palazzo it is open every day from 8:30 to 19:30, except on Tuesdays, when it is closed. Be careful, because the park closes earlier based on the season. The English garden closes about 1 hour before the park. Check the timetables on Official site.
Ticket prices
- The palace, the park and the English garden
Full price: € 14
Reduced rate: € 12 - Palace only when the park is closed
Full price: € 10
Reduced rate: € 8 - Only Historic Apartments (available after 17pm): € 3
To know:
- The reduced rate applies to children under 18-25 years of age.
- Admission is free up to 18 years.
- Please note that on the first Sunday of each month, the entrance to the historic apartments is free and the entrance to the park is only € 5.
Useful Information
- It is advisable to plan a whole day to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta, without missing anything about the Palace and its gardens!
- To get to know the palace better, multilingual audio guides are available for € 5, but also guided tours (1 hour and 30 minutes).
- The fountains are present all along the path in the park
- There are two food outlets on the site
- The luggage storage service is available and it is free of charge
How to get around the park
- Bicycle rental (€ 4 / hour - electric bike € 6 - tandem € 7)
- Carriage rides (50 € / 40 minutes)
- Shuttle bus: € 2,50 round trip
Now you know everything about how to visit the Royal Palace of Caserta from Naples!
What to see around the Palace
Caserta Old
Taking advantage of the fact that you are in the area and visit the small medieval village of Caserta Vecchia. It is about 10 kilometers from the city of Caserta, on the slopes of the Tifatini mountains at 400 meters above sea level.
Throughout its history it has received several dominations: Lombards, Saracens, Normans, Aragonese, until in the eighteenth century it radically changed its destiny.
From the construction of the Palace by the Bourbons, it ceased to be important because its inhabitants moved to the modern part.
Like any small medieval town, it has narrow streets and stone houses. You can visit the ancient Romanesque cathedral and a tower that offers fantastic 360-degree views. The way to get there offers spectacular views of the Palace from above.
Carolino Aqueduct
And to top off the walk through this area of ​​the Campania, you cannot miss a visit to the Carolino Aqueduct, one spectacular work of hydraulic engineering built by the same architect of the Royal Palace of Caserta.
It is located in the Maddaloni valley and also supplies the water supply to the Royal Palace of Caserta, drawing water from the slopes of Mount Taburno. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
