The Stunning & Forgotten Palace Hiding In Southern Italy
One of the largest palaces in the world, and you’ve never heard of it
In 1944, the Royal Palace of Caserta was a strange place. The grandeur of one of the largest and most opulent palaces in history was contrasted with the mean details of an ongoing war. Staff officers drank brandy in plush rooms adorned with large war maps. Soldiers from the front stumbled around in awe as they waited to be redeployed back to the cold foxholes of the Gustav Line. All the while, high-ranking generals came and went with impunity. It was a strange chapter in the long and winding history of one of history’s most forgotten palaces.
The Royal Palace of Caserta was modeled off of Versaille and is located in southern Italy outside of Naples. It is one of the largest palaces ever constructed and the largest palace that is no longer occupied by a government or royal family. The palace was built to house the House of Bourbon in Italy during vacations and was used to rule Naples and Sicily during specific periods.
The palace is absolutely stunning, and it took decades to construct. It is adorned with a massive reflecting pool, numerous fountains, dozens of detailed statues, columns, and some of the best examples of Baroque architecture left in Europe.
