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 site is always open, and visitors can see it all for free unless they prefer a guided visit. Headstones, coins, vases, statues and other finds from Alba Fucens are also on view in the museums of Chieti and Celano.
ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE...
The name Alba Fucens derives from the spot it inhabited, where one could admire the beautiful dawn that rose every morning on Lake Fucino (the lake was completely drained in the late 1800s). Due to its enviable position, the city has been known since Antiquity as the “the Marsican Balcony.” In fact, according to some sources the word “Alba” is the transposition to Latin from the Italic word “alb” or “alp” which signifies hill or high ground. Alba Fucens would then refer to “high ground of the Marsica.”
Additional Information
From the inhabited zone of Albe, the current-day name for Alba Fucens and making up part of the Commune of Massa D'Albe, one can visit the surrounding territory in multiple directions. To the north one observes the outlines of the mass that is Monte Velino (2, 487 m or 8, 159 ft high); the peak is part of the natural reserve of Sirente-Velino, rich in flora and fauna and a great destination for treks, strolls and cycle excursions within a thriving natural landscape. In the northeast, not far from Albe, Magliano de' Marsi, hamlet of Rosciolo, is the location of the Benedictine Church of Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta. An architectural gem, it features a pulpit designed by Nicodemo da Guardiagrele, a ciborium with zoomorphic and phytomorphic motifs, and frescoes, including the unusual Madonna del latte or “Madonna of the Milk” and, at the entrance, a representation of St. Lucy.
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The amphitheatre, with optimum acoustics, is used today for cultural events, concerts and theatrical works of the Greek and Latin classics.