Italian Culture and History :
Caserta, the Royal Palace and Park
The most scenographic setting in the Palace is probably where the atrium, the grand Royal Staircase and the chapel meet.
The Royal Staircase is an invention of 17th-Century scenographic arts; it connects the lower and upper vestibules, giving access to the royal apartments via the upper. The Palatine Chapel, designed by Vanvitelli, decorations and all, exhibits - more than any other environment here - strong similarities to the precedents left by Versailles.
similarities to the precedents left by Versailles.
Also rather remarkable is the court theatre, a marvelous example of 17th-Century theatre architecture: the horseshoe-shaped hall (as opposed to in the round) is made complete by the particular disposition of the columns (in giant order, or two stories). These are just a few of the environments in the enormous Palace, but all are exceptional.
The Pinacoteca’s (Painting Gallery's) interior is organized as a series of connected room that display countless works of still lifes, war scenes, and of course, portraits of the members of the Bourbon Dynasty.
In the “old apartment” the Bourbon Nativity is always on show. The Nativity Scene was a great passion of the noble Bourbon Family, and it is thanks to them that the Nativity tradition spread from Naples to the rest of the world.
The Palatine Library is annexed to the Queen’s Apartments – woman of refinement and culture – and is decorated by reliefs and frescoes that include that of the zodiac signs and the constellations, executed according to Vanvitelli’s design. Also evocative are the rooms dedicated to the four seasons.
Perhaps the most integral aspect of this Palace’s majesty and beauty is its park, composed of numerous fountains and waterfalls. The park is a typical exemplar of the Italian garden, landscaped with vast fields, flower beds and, above all, a triumph of “water games” or dancing fountains. Along the central axis, then, is a succession of pools, fountains and cascades adorned by large sculptural groupings, all which create a unique scenographic impact that culminates with the Grand Cascade. The park extends to the summit of the hill opposite the Palace, where an English garden perfectly frames an arrangement of exotic plants.
The English Garden, moreover, is very special: wanted by Maria Carolina of Austria, it is less symmetrical in respect to that Italian, but it holds a vast range of indigenous and exotic plants alike, including Cedars of Lebanon.
Together with the Royal Palace and park at Caserta, UNESCO also inserted the Aqueduct (also realized by Luigi Vanvitelli) on the World Heritage List, along with the nearby complex at San Leucio, cited for its representation of a site that is not only an industrial city, but that served as an additional territorial piece of the Royal enclave.
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The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is also a huge must; located inside the Palazzo VenierdeiLeoni, it holds important artworks from the 20th Century. Continuing in the same direction, one finds other important museums: the Galleries of the Accademia, inside the majestic complex of the Scuola Grande de la Carità, which also comprises the homonymous church and monastery; and Ca’ Rezzonico, one of the most awe-inspiring palaces from the Renaissance and location for the Museum of 18th Century Venice.
Remaining in the western part of the city, we can see all the sestieri (Venice is divided into these six diverse zones): Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Marco, San Polo, and Santa Croce, which boasts the most famous campi - or piazzas - in the world, the ones framed by fascinating religious structures and elegant noble palaces.
The Venice of 118 Islands
Around Venice itself lie the more than one hundred other islands making up this lagoon city – the predominant ones being Burano, world-famous for its lace; Murano and its glass production; Pellestrina, characterized by sandy dunes and reed groves; and Torcello, one of the oldest human settlements in the area.
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The aforementioned Punta della Dogana is the point at which the Canal Grande and the Canale della Giudecca become one (or separate, depending on your perspective). The Dogana da Mar complex is here and, together with Palazzo Grassi, is the seat of the François Pinault Foundation; these are centers for excellence in the category of Contemporary art, in Italy and internationally.
Italian Culture and History :
Venice