Reggia di Caserta: the world's largest royal palace, UNESCO World Heritage
The Reggia di Caserta is one of the most imposing and best-preserved royal palaces in the world, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. Commissioned by King Charles III of Bourbon in 1752 as Naples's answer to Versailles, it was designed by architect Luigi Vanvitelli and took over twenty years to build. The statistics are staggering: 47,000 square metres of built area, 1,200 rooms, 1,790 windows, 34 staircases and more than 40,000 people involved in its construction. But it is the park that may impress even more than the palace: 120 hectares of formal Italian and English gardens, with a three-kilometre axial perspective culminating in a monumental cascade waterfall fed by the Carolino Aqueduct, still perfectly functioning today. The palace has been chosen as a filming location for world-famous productions, including Star Wars: Episode I (as the Royal Palace of Naboo) and various historical adaptations. Its royal apartments, palatine chapel, court theatre and art gallery are among the highlights. O'Vesuvio B&B in Torre del Greco is the ideal base for a Caserta day trip — just 40 minutes by motorway.
How to Get There
From Torre del Greco by car via A3 and A1 motorways to the Caserta Sud exit: approximately 40 minutes. By train: from Torre del Greco station (Naples-Salerno line), change at Naples Centrale for a regional train to Caserta (60-70 minutes total). The palace is a 5-minute walk from Caserta station.
Highlights
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UNESCO World Heritage since 1997: the world's largest royal palace by volume (47,000 sqm)
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1,200 rooms, 1,790 windows, royal apartments with original 18th-century Bourbon furnishings
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120-hectare park with a 3km monumental cascade waterfall and spectacular fountains
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Star Wars filming location: Episode I's Royal Palace of Naboo was shot here
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Carolino Aqueduct: 18th-century hydraulic masterpiece still feeding the park's fountains today
💡 Practical Tip
Book tickets online to avoid queues. Rent a bicycle at the park entrance to reach the waterfall (the 3km round trip on foot is tiring). Allow at least 4 hours for a complete visit.
Stay at O'Vesuvio B&B
Just 20 minutes from the main attractions of the Bay of Naples. Book directly and save on commissions.