Skip-the-line available The Reggia di Caserta — 18th-Century Bourbon Ambition
Charles VII commissioned a palace to rival Versailles in 1751. Vanvitelli's design, the Bourbon court at Caserta, and the 1860 Italian unification.
The Reggia di Caserta was Charles VII of Bourbon's attempt to build a palace and gardens to rival Versailles — and by many architectural measures, he succeeded. The 1,200-room palace and 3-km gardens were the largest royal complex in 18th-century Europe. This guide is the clear factual history from Charles VII's 1751 commission to today's UNESCO status.
1751-1780 — commissioning to completion
Charles VII (later Charles III of Spain), King of Naples 1734-1759, commissioned a new royal palace in 1750-1751. The site was chosen at Caserta, 25 km north of Naples, specifically for distance from the sea (safer from naval attack) and proximity to the Carolino aqueduct (which would feed the palace's elaborate water features). Architect Luigi Vanvitelli was selected — a Neapolitan-trained architect of Dutch origin (his father Caspar van Wittel was a Dutch painter who had moved to Italy).
Construction began in 1752. The palace plan: 1,200 rooms across five floors, 247 metres long, 184 metres wide, a vast rectangular complex with four interior courtyards. The gardens were planned to extend 3 km south from the palace facade. Construction took 28 years; the palace was substantially complete by 1780, though decoration continued through the 1790s. Charles VII never saw the completed palace — he had become King of Spain in 1759 and ruled from Madrid until his death in 1788.
The Bourbon court at Caserta — 1759 to 1860
After Charles VII became King of Spain in 1759, his son Ferdinand I succeeded him as King of Naples and used Caserta as the summer royal residence. The Bourbon dynasty ruled Naples (and later the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) from 1734 to 1860, with Caserta as one of the principal royal palaces.
The 19th century brought changes. Napoleon's brother Joseph Bonaparte briefly ruled Naples from Caserta (1806-1808), followed by Joachim Murat (1808-1815). The Bourbons returned after Napoleon's fall and continued to use Caserta until 1860, when Giuseppe Garibaldi's southern campaign and the unification of Italy ended the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. King Francesco II abdicated at Caserta on 6 November 1860.
After unification — 1860 to today
After 1860 Caserta passed to the new Kingdom of Italy. The palace was used by the Savoy royal family as an occasional residence, by the Italian military as a training facility, and eventually as a state heritage building. During World War II it served as a hospital and military headquarters. The Allied surrender of Italy was signed at Caserta on 29 April 1945, ending the war on the Italian peninsula.
UNESCO inscribed the Reggia di Caserta as a World Heritage Site in 1997, alongside the 18th-century Royal Park, the Vanvitelli Aqueduct, and the San Leucio Complex (a Bourbon-era industrial town with worker housing — also part of the inscription). The palace is now a state heritage site under the Italian Ministry of Culture; approximately 600,000 visitors come each year. The palace's massive scale makes it one of the most-visited heritage sites in southern Italy after Pompeii.
Frequently asked
Who built the Reggia di Caserta?
Charles VII of Bourbon (King of Naples 1734-1759, later Charles III of Spain) commissioned the palace in 1751. Architect Luigi Vanvitelli (1700-1773) designed it. Construction ran 1752-1780. Charles VII never saw the completed palace — he had moved to Spain in 1759.
How many rooms does the Reggia di Caserta have?
About 1,200 rooms across five floors. The palace is 247 metres long, 184 metres wide. It is widely considered the largest royal palace by volume in the world (rivalled by Versailles, the Forbidden City, and Topkapi).
Is the Reggia di Caserta bigger than Versailles?
By volume, the Reggia di Caserta is larger. By total park area, Versailles is larger (Versailles park is about 800 hectares; Caserta about 120 hectares). The palaces are roughly contemporary — Versailles was largely complete by 1715, Caserta by 1780 — and Caserta was deliberately designed to rival Versailles in royal ambition.
Was Caserta used by Napoleon?
Briefly. Napoleon's brother Joseph Bonaparte ruled the Kingdom of Naples from Caserta 1806-1808, followed by Joachim Murat 1808-1815. After Napoleon's fall the Bourbons returned and continued to use Caserta until Italian unification in 1860.
When did the Bourbons stop ruling at Caserta?
6 November 1860 — King Francesco II of the Two Sicilies abdicated at Caserta as Garibaldi's Italian unification campaign reached the southern peninsula. The palace passed to the new Kingdom of Italy and the Savoy royal family.
Why is Caserta a UNESCO site?
Inscribed in 1997 for the palace itself, the 18th-century Royal Park, the Vanvitelli Aqueduct (which fed the palace's elaborate water features), and the San Leucio Complex (a Bourbon-era industrial town with worker housing — included in the inscription as an example of 18th-century social planning).