caserta's greatest attraction is the majesticroyal palace, built for king charles of bourbon by the great architect luigi vanvitelli. the colossal work, begun in 1752, was finished in 1774 by vanvitelli's son carlo. the palace (247 m.×184 m., 41 m. in height) has 1,200 rooms and a richly decorated interior. its immense park (120 hectares) has a wealth of artistic fountains ornamented with splendid statuary and waterfalls that gently ripple down the hill.
especially beautiful is the grande cascata, a 78 m. high cascade. important in caserta vecchia are the cathedral (12th century, siculo-norman style) with its 13th century campanile (gothic), and the little church of the annunziata (12th century, gothic).
the palace was the last great building of the italian baroque, and though you can't visit each of its 1200 rooms, the ones you will see are as extravagant as they are exquisite. the majestic main staircase, whose 116 steps were all carved from one gigantic block of stone, is a perfect combination of rich marbles and dramatic perspectives. it leads to the splendiferous 25 rooms of the royal apartments. be sure to visit the jewel-like theatre, modeled after san carlo.
the gardens are immense; stroll through the bosco vecchio (old wood), past the little castle built as a playhouse for the bourbon princes, past the fish pond where mock sea battles were staged to amuse the members of the royal court, past the dolphin fountain and on to the fountain of diana and actaeon, a sculptural group as animated and enchanting as the one in trevi fountain. rest a while here, for you still haven't reached the loveliest section of the park, the english gardens, embellished with a tiny lake and fake ancient ruins. return to the train station by bus or by foot (if you have the energy to walk).
