L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano T h e R e g g i a d i Caserta is one of Italy's many m a r v e l s a n d i t has been part of UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1997. Designed in the 18th century by Neapoli- tan architect Luigi Van- vitelli, it is by many con- sidered the most splendid example of Italian Baroque architecture, a perfect mix of the grandiosity and opu- lence of France's Versailles and Spain's Escorial. Indeed, Versailles was in t h e m i n d o f C h a r l e s o f Bourbon when, in 1734, he r o s e t o t h e t h r o n e o f t h e Kingdom of Naples, at the t e n d e r a g e o f 1 8 . K i n g Charles wanted a majestic residence, one that could show the greatness and his realms, and be a sign of full independence from the rul- i n g o f S p a i n , w h i c h h a d dominated the South for the longest time. The first stone of the Reggia was laid by the king himself on the 20th of January 1752, on the day of h i s b i r t h d a y . I t w o u l d b e almost a century before the architectural complex was completed, in 1845. With its 4 7 , 0 0 0 s q u a r e m e t e r s i n extension (154,200 square feet), 1,200 rooms - only 134 were used by the Royal Family, though - and 1,742 windows, the Reggia is the largest royal palace in the world. But the palace is only part of an extensive com- plex that also counts 123 hectares of royal park, with m o r e t h a n 2 0 0 b o t a n i c a l species, and 3 km (around 2 m i l e s ) o f V i a d ' A c q u a , a b r e a t h t a k i n g p a r a d e o f monumental fountains and waterworks. Undoubtedly the Reggia i t s e l f is what people are m o r e f a m i l i a r w i t h : i t i s characterized by a rectangu- l a r p l a n , d i v i d e d b y f o u r internal courtyards and by incredibly opulent interiors, a s y o u ' d e x p e c t i n a n y b a r o q u e b u i l d i n g . T h e y were created by some of the most important local artists of the time: this is why the Reggia, while incredibly lav- ish, also remains elegant, an example of artistic balance a n d p e r f e c t e x e c u t i o n . Among the most impressive areas, we should mention t h e C a p p e l l a P a l a t i n a , c o n s i d e r e d b y s o m e a n homage to the chapel of the Palace de Versailles, which w a s p e r s o n a l l y d e s i g n e d and decorated by Vanvitelli. The Reggia's gardens are e q u a l l y i m p r e s s i v e : w i t h their Via Dell'Acqua, fishing ponds, and streamlets, they still reverberate with the peaceful serenity of times gone by. Stylistically speak- ing, they are divided into two distinct blocks, an Ital- ian-style garden, beautifully structured and organized, and an English-style gar- d e n , c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y a more natural design, ideat- e d b y f a m o u s G e r m a n b o t a n i s t J o h n A n d r e a s Graefer. Both were filled w i t h p l a n t s a n d f l o w e r s f r o m e v e r y c o r n e r o f t h e Earth. In a far, almost hid- den corner of the English garden, we find the Bagno di Venere, which gets its name from the presence of a Carrara marble sculpture of the goddess by Tommaso Solari, created in 1762. Not f a r , a s m a l l t e m p l e - l i k e building, commissioned by q u e e n M a r i a C a r o l i n a . According to some, careful o b s e r v e r s c a n i d e n t i f y masonic and esoteric sym- bolism within it. When he thought of the Reggia, Charles of Bourbon had a clear idea in mind: he didn't only want a beautiful palace worthy of an impor- tant European king, he also wanted to ensure the ade- q u a t e d e v e l o p m e n t o f i t s surrounding areas. It is with this in mind that he com- missioned the construction of the Acquedotto Car- olino, a 41 km (25.5 miles) state-of-the-art aqueduct built to supply with water not only the palace and its gardens but also the city of Caserta and the small ham- let of San Leucio, which is today protected by UNESCO just like the Reggia itself. Thanks to the aqueduct and the interest of King Charles, the area also developed a prosperous silk manu- facturing industry and sev- eral thriving farms. The Reggia di Caserta is a place filled with history, art, and beauty, but we should also mention some interest- ing trivia related to it. For i n s t a n c e , i t ' s h e r e a t t h e Reggia that Italians saw a bidet for the first time. Leg- ends say that, when Italy was unified, the Piedmon- tese functionaries in charge of cataloging all of its con- tents were left speechless w h e n t h e y c a m e a c r o s s a strange contraption shaped like a guitar, the bidet! We should again mention queen Maria Carolina of Habsurg, the same who wanted the B a g n i d i V e n e r e , f o r t h e introduction to the Belpaese o f w h a t w a s t o b e c o m e a s i n e q u a n o n f i x t u r e i n every Italian home. Appar- ently, she expressly asked for a bidet in her personal bathroom, and we can still see it today! It's a simple metal basin mounted on a carved wooden structure. Last but not least, the Reggia has a place also in contemporary pop culture, as it was the backdrop for a series of scenes in Star War Episode One: The Phantom Menace (1999) and Episode Two: Attack of the Clones: its rich interiors served as s e t f o r t h e p a l a c e o f t h e Q u e e n o f N a b o o , P a d m é A m i d a l a , w i f e o f D a r t h Vader, mother of Luke Sky- walker and Princess Leia, and portrayed on the silver screen by Natalie Portman. The Reggia di Caserta, Italy's Versailles FRANCESCA BEZZONE A view of the Reggia from the Via d'Acqua (Photo: Matteo Chiari/Dreamstime) Beautifully frescoed and stuccoed ceilings in the palace (Photo: Wing Travelling/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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