At the behest of the Spanish King Charles III. – king of Spain (1759–88) and of Naples and Sicily (1735–59), Luigi Vanvitelli began to work on the construction work in 1752. In 1759, the Charles III. became unable to manage personnel in both kingdoms upon succeeding to the Spanish throne on 10 August, therefore the castle under construction left a son, Ferdinand VI (who became Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, or Ferdinand IV of Naples and Ferdinand III of Sicily).

The whole building including the park were inspired by the chateau of Versailles. The palace has a ground plan dimensions of 247 x 184 m. The adjacent park has an area of 120 hectares.

View The Royal Palace of Caserta with the Park on the Larger Map

Caserta Royal Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The Park

The Royal Palace of Caserta has the most scenic parks in the world, scattered with fountains and waterfalls. The gardens, partly English and partly inspired by French models, are adorned with statues, made from the best Neapolitan sculptors under the guidance of Carlo Vanvitelli. Although the original draft was much more sophisticated and extensive, there were some economical reductions.

The central avenue of the park, from the gate to the big waterfall, is 3 km long. The park covers 120 hectares in total.

There are several fountains with the vasca (basin) in the garden:

The Fountain of Diana and Actaeon / La fontana di Diana e Atteone
The Fountain of Venus and Adonis / Cascatelle e Fontana di Venere e Adone
The Fountain of the Dolphins / la Vasca e Fontana dei Delfini
The Fountain of Aeolus / la Vasca e Fontana di Eolo
The Fountain of Ceres / la Vasca e Fontana di Cerere

View The Royal Palace of Caserta with the Park in Italy in a larger map

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View Piazza Pretoria with the Fontana Pretoria on the Larger Map

Imaginary center of Palermo is Piazza Vigliena where meet two main streets of the city – Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele. It was designed in the 17th Century by well-known Florentine architect Giulio Lasso. The square is surrounded by four majestic buildings with a richly decorated facade. In front of each of them there is a fountain. The sculptures in various niches show four seasons, the Spanish king and saint patron of the city. Sometimes the square is called the “Solar Theater”, since when come here at any time of day, at least one of the facades is beautifully illuminated by the sun.

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Just a few minutes away you will find a major landmark of the city – Cathedral of Palermo. It was built in the 12th century at the former place of basilica and mosque. Even today, observant visitors may have noticed engraved version of the Koran in one of its pillars. The building has retained its Norman Sicilian style, however the most of what we can see today dates back to the Renaissance period.

View Cathedral of Palermo on the Larger Map

Quite morbid, but for someone attractive can be a visit to the catacombs of the Capuchin Monastery – Catacomb dei Cappuccini. There are located approx. 8000 mummies of the former residents of Palermo. You definitely should not miss a tour to a nearby hill of Monte Pellegrino, from which you can enjoy spectacular views of the city.

The airport is located thirty kilometers west of Palermo and you can get a bus to the centre of Palermo, which I personally think that it is the most craziest city in Europe and that I have ever seen.

What to see in Palermo

• Quattro Canti is a small square
• Piazza Pretoria with the Fontana Pretoria
• The Teatro Politeama
• The Teatro Massimo
• Palermo Cathedral – the city’s cathedral and main church
• San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi church
• San Giovanni degli Eremiti
• Chiesa della Martorana
• San Cataldo
• Santa Maria della Gancia
• Santa Maria della Catena
• San Giuseppe dei Teatini
• Oratorio di San Lorenzo
• Orto botanico di Palermo
• Capuchin Catacombs

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