Royal Palace (Reggia di Caserta)

The Reggia (Palazzo Reale) is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it's a palace of superlatives; the sheer scale of the project is breathtaking: the build cost a staggering a 6 million ducats and comprises 1,200 rooms (though only a fraction of these are open). So why is it such an enormous palace, and why here? Following the death of Charles VI, the Royal Family found itself at war with the English and determined to create a brand new court outside, but not too far from, Naples. The architect, Luigi Vanvitelli, and, later, his son, Carlo, were commmissioned to design a complex that would not only house the Royal Family but include a university, library (the Biblioteca contains 10,000 books), public ministries, theatre, church and the most spectacular gardens (known as English Gardens). 

To arrive, take the Rome-Naples train and alight at Caserta. 

You can get an idea of the wonders that await you by checking out a video on the website which, bizarrely, has Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood' as a soundtrack.