The unique exhibition, sponsored by the European Centre for Tourism and designed by Paola Raffaella David, is focused mainly on two major aspects of the production of the great architect of Flemish origin (but Neapolitan to the bone), best known for designing the real residence Bourbon of Terra di Lavoro.

It is therefore discover the talents “canonical” by the artist, as well as those of his genius “creative” in the true sense of the term, since Vanvitelli was also a painter and sculptor and author of numerous works of decorative art.
Among them, how not to mention the design of the Throne of St. Peter, created in Carrara marble and commissioned in 1754 by Pope Benedict XIV to the Vatican basilica?

Not everyone knows ,however, that the magnificent specimen, visible today in the halls of the building, suffered a resounding “rejection” by the customer, which it considered inadequate for the purpose for its characteristics, deemed too fanciful and eccentric at the time.

But as we know there are countless qualities that focused in the person of the talented teacher , including a strong inclination for the world of the seven notes.
Ah yes, the skill and passion that the artist’s love for music is documented just a few letters coming directly from the archives of the Royal Palace.
But back to the painter Vanvitelli, it is evident that they could not miss in the exhibition Caserta, some of his most striking paintings, accompanied by the works of his contemporaries.

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Recall that many of the paintings selected for the event of the Palace, are shown for the first time the eyes of the lucky audience.
And is the case of the painting, loaned by the National Academy of San Luca in Rome, portraying the father of Vanvitelli, the famous Dutch landscape artist Gaspar van Wittel.
Still, the tour in the gallery of precious works of art continues with sketches by Sebastiano Conca, author of “The Nativity”, along with those of Corrado Giaquinto, one of the leading exponents of Neapolitan Rococo, and a series of models and designs, made by the architect of Naples, for tapestries to decorate the bedroom of Ferdinand IV and Maria Carolina in the Royal Palace of Naples.

Last but not least, and only for spatial location, the “Allegorical Portrait of Carlo di Borbone”, developed by Lorenzo Gramiccia, from the Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia.
In short, there is nothing else to add except to go as soon as possible to see for themselves the magnificence of art are unique and unrepeatable who have the gift of eternal beauty.

“Secret Vanvitelli, his painters from Conca to Giaquinto: the Cathedra Petri”
4 march 2014 – 31 october 2014
Palazzo Reale, Via Douhet, 2 Caserta http://www.reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it/

L'articolo Secret Vanvitelli, the genius is revealed at the Royal Palace of Caserta proviene da Charme.

The project was achieved. But let’s be clear from the beginning . The Park as we know it today is only part of what the architect Luigi Vanvitelli had designed in the Sixteenth century.The vicissitudes of the real factory are known to everybody and the same initial design has been changed and downsized several times .

One of the most famous additions, not even contemplated in the original design of Vanvitelli, was, for example, the one desired by the Queen of Naples , Maria Carolina , who, following the fashion then in vogue , also built in Caserta beautiful “English Garden”.

Changes , cuts and adjustments , however, did not modify the total structure of the park. therefore today Reggia di Caserta’s garden  remains one of the most beautiful parks in the world , also recognized World Heritage Site by UNESCO: admire and be amazed , astonished forward the continuous series of scenic views, rows of trees , caves -hidden waterfalls and cascades , it’s all the same . An unforgettable experience. The Park is a treasure in the treasure that is 3 km long , about 120 hectares.

If you want to be fascinated by the magic of the lakes, beautiful sculptures and water features you only have to cross the doorstep of the entrance of the Palace and take the central avenue that leads into the park: it is from here that the wind goes through the gardens of Eden beloved to the Kings of Naples. One of the first goodies that visitors will run into along the way is the so-called ” old wood ” , the beginning of the so-called “Italian garden” .There stands a small building , the Tower Pernesta, also called “Castelluccia”, a sort of miniature castle surrounded by a moat and an impressive drawbridge. It seems that the area was used , one time, like a home to picnics as well as a place of recreation for fake land battles . The water that feeds the moat flows through a small canal. Following it back leads to the so-called “Old Peschiera” , an artificial lake  with a small island in the center , built in 1769 by Ferdinando IV to dabble with small naval battles.

From the “Old Peschiera” to the Fountain Margherita, the distance is short. The Fountain is situated in a circular flowerbed and closes the so-called Italian-style garden starting the path that leads into the English with the first of three large tanks with longitudinal development: the Peschiera Grande, an artificial pond almost half a kilometer long ending in a sculptural complex made up of three large dolphins (by Gaetano Salomone) from whose mouths gushes water.

A little further on, separated by a large lawn, towering the sophisticated  complex of the Fountain of Eolo (performed by Salomone, Brunelli, Violani , Persico and Solari) , with its semicircular portico, the Fountain of Ceres (the work of Salomone ) carved while holding in his hands the image of Trinacria and the extraordinary Fountain of Venus and Adonis by Paolo Persico, Angelo Brunelli and Tommaso Solari .We finally arrive to the wide staircase leading to the tank containing the two magnificent sculptures of Diana and Actaeon (by Persico , Brunelli and Solari ). And here that opens the show spectacular in the English Garden. The work was commissioned by Maria Carolina of Austria, it was built between 1778 and the end of the century, under the watchful eye of Carlo Vanvitelli, the son of Louis, and the English botanist John Andrew Graefer.

The garden is dotted with streams, waterfalls, walkways enriched with majestic plane trees, Lebanese cedars, pines, cypresses, magnolias, palms. The microclimate of the ponds on the surface are reflected temples and a statue of Venus on her knees while bathing .

The ponds are made even more beautiful and characteristic of the presence of aquatic plants and sculptures of fake Roman collapses and niches .The garden, in addition to hosting large greenhouses and a chalet, is also rich in indigenous and exotic plants, including Camellias imported for the first time in Europe from Japan in 1880. The shade is almost the overlying Briano mountain whose summit, the so-called “Tower”, reachable through two streets, running water piped directly from the Aqueduct Carolino . The waterfall, 78 meters high, ends in the underlying wood from New Year’s Eve, from which, in a stream of roaring waterfall, and then pours into the bath of Diana and Actaeon.

L'articolo Waterfalls, fountains and gardens: the park of Royal Palace proviene da Charme.