Royal Palace of Carditello, Caserta, Italy

The Royal Estate of Carditello (Reggia di Carditello) includes a small 18th-century palace once belonging to the Neapolitan Bourbon Monarchy and its surrounding grounds in San Tammaro, a small village in the province of Caserta in the region of Campania.

While the estate functioned as an agricultural and pastoral production center, and included large amounts of royal territory, the palace entertained members of the royal court as a hunting lodge. The palace was designed by Francesco Collecini (1723-1804), pupil of Vanvitelli. The forecourt had a large horse racing track.

The royal estate itself enchanted Johann Wolfgang Goethe, who wrote that people should visit Carditello to understand what nature really was. Carditello offered the king and his court the opportunity for hunting excursions, its woods being rich in game.

Many years of disuse would follow after the unification of Italy. The king left the estate in the care of the local head of the Camorra, which began a long period of disinterest and neglect of the property. In 1920, 2,070 hectares of the estate were sold, leaving only the main palace building and 15 hectares surrounding it. During World War II, it was occupied by German and American troops, which increased the state of degradation of the palace, especially its frescoed interior. Over time, the palace was gradually stripped of its fixtures.

The palace

The palace was built in the second half of the 18th century by Charles of Borbone. The complex is 300 meters long and divided into 3 parts: on two sides there are two factories that are divided by the main palace with two long halls. There are 3 buildings that are linked between them, because the royals wanted to demonstrate that there were no barriers separating the people and the royal family.

On the ground floor there are kitchens, weapons stocks, and the staff room. On the first floor there are two distinct areas, one for the royal family and the other for the receptions that were organized after hunting.

The small church is built in typical 18th-century style, decorated by the main artists of the court such as Philip Hackert.

References:

Wikipedia

Palaces, manors and town halls in Italy

User Reviews

Alexander Olson (2 years ago)
Gorgeous grounds, with cute horses

Ashley Vaughn (3 years ago)
Currently remodeling the inside so you can only view the outside. Good for a quick stop.

Leonella Ferrarini (lefe) (4 years ago)
Interesting, but we have to wait some more time to fully enjoy the visit. It is under restoration works and quite a few sectors are still closed. So are services even though the personnel is really kind.

Jay Cee (6 years ago)
Out of curiosity I wanted to see if anyone put any information on the web about it this place. Back when I lived near Casal di Principe(2006-2009), I would travel all over the place and would take certain roads to see where they would lead. One day, I followed a road which lead me to this place, on a Friday afternoon. It was isolated abandoned, and mysterious....I could not believe that this place existed. I remember wanting to jump over the wall, but I was afraid that the Carabinieri would show up. I was always fascinated at how well the Italians preserved their historical places, but this place was abandoned. It was beautiful and earie at the same time...and each time I drove by it, I would drive as slow as possible to enjoy side of the building near the street where it curved....looking through the broken windows. I hope the next time I visit my extended family, I will be able to see this place from the inside. Unfortunately, the computer that I had my pictures of this place back in 2007, crashed.

M B (7 years ago)
Very interesting palace. Off the beaten path and run down but that's what adds to the charm. It's clear the volunteers care deeply about protecting and preserving it. Tour guide required to tour the grounds but worth it even if you don't speak Italian.

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