Visiting the Reggia di Caserta: What to See at Italy’s Largest Royal Palace
It might not have been every little girl’s dream to be a princess, but it was definitely mine. Every once in a while, I find myself in places that transport me to a universe where that dream might have been possible, and the Reggia di Caserta is one of those places.
Because it is one single massive structure, the Royal Palace of Caserta is often described as the largest royal palace in the world by volume, and it was designed to rival the Palace of Versailles. In this blog article, I will tell you everything you need to know about visiting the Reggia di Caserta, from the palace itself to the incredible gardens and how to get there, so you too can feel like a princess (or prince, king, or queen) for a day.
Why the Reggia di Caserta Is So Famous
The construction of the Reggia di Caserta began in 1752, commissioned by Charles VII of Naples (later Charles III of Spain). He belonged to the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (I have to admit I still don’t really know what the “second Sicily” actually is, because as far as I know there is only one), a royal family that ruled Southern Italy and Sicily for more than a century during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Naples, where the kings usually resided, represented a risk of invasion because of its location on the sea. This is why Caserta was chosen to create a new administrative centre, located about 35 kilometres north of Naples.
The architect of the Reggia was Luigi Vanvitelli, who also worked on St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It took more than twenty years to complete the palace, but the result was designed to rival royal residences such as those in Madrid and Versailles. In 1997, the site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and as I mentioned above, the Royal Palace of Caserta is now considered one of the most prestigious royal residences in Europe.
A fact that I personally found particularly interesting is that in 1998 the Reggia was used as a filming location for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, specifically as the interior of the Theed Royal Palace on Naboo. Since I was completely obsessed with anything Star Wars when I was a kid, this fun fact made me very happy. Besides Star Wars, the Reggia has also been used as a filming location for many other movies, and you can find the full list on their official website.
Tip: If you want to learn more about the history of the palace, I recommend checking the official website for additional information.
What to See Inside the Palace
I have to say, I entered the Reggia without having seen many pictures of the inside beforehand, because I wanted to be surprised. Looking back, I think this was a very good idea, because surprised I definitely was, in a good way of course.
You enter the royal apartments through an enormous staircase, while classical music plays in the background, making you feel like you have stepped straight into a Bridgerton episode. From there, you can walk through the different rooms and admire the beautiful chapel, throne room, and royal apartments.
While I personally skipped the audio guide (as you might know if you read my Castel Gandolfo article, I’m not really a big fan), it is available for visitors who want more information while exploring the royal apartments. Since the palace is really big, the official website recommends around two hours for the visit, which I think is quite reasonable. I, with my long legs, took about an hour and a half.
The Gardens of the Reggia di Caserta
The gardens of the Reggia di Caserta were designed by Carlo Vanvitelli, the son of Luigi Vanvitelli. With 100 hectares, 60 statues, 6 monumental fountains, and more than 3 kilometres in linear distance, the gardens of the palace are enormous, and there is a lot to see.
Part of the royal gardens includes the old forest, the English Garden, beautiful fountains, and even a waterfall that distributes water throughout the Royal Park. The waterfall is located all the way at the end of the garden, and when I arrived at the entrance, I didn’t think it would be that far away. In the end, however, my eyes were deceiving me. To explore the whole park properly, you definitely need several hours, and the official website recommends around four hours to visit both the Royal Park and the English Garden.
If you prefer, there are also shuttle buses and bike rentals available, offering a faster and more efficient way to move through the park. If you have mobility issues, this is also a great option for still experiencing the gardens of the Reggia.
Next to the Royal Park, you can find the English Garden, a very romantic space filled with exotic plants and more than 200 species of trees. The English Garden has slightly different opening hours from the main gardens, so if you want to visit it, that is definitely something to keep in mind.
How to Visit the Reggia di Caserta
Tickets to the Reggia di Caserta can be bought online or directly at the ticket office. They offer several different ticket options, but the main one, which includes entrance to both the royal apartments and the gardens, costs 18 euros, plus an extra 1 euro pre-sale fee if you buy your ticket online.
Like many other cultural institutions in Italy, the Reggia offers price reductions for different groups of visitors, which you can find listed on the official website. Young adults between 18 and 25 only have to pay 2 euros for a ticket, which is honestly a steal for a visit to such a palace.
Besides the all-inclusive ticket, you also have the option to buy tickets only for the royal apartments, only for the Royal Park, or for both the Royal Park and the English Garden. These tickets cost between 3 and 12 euros.
When visiting the Reggia di Caserta, it is important to note that the different areas have different opening hours, which also depend on the season. When I visited in March, for example, the English Garden closed at 16:00, with the last admission at 15:00. From April to September it closes at 18:00, with the last admission at 17:00.
The palace and royal apartments close at 19:15 throughout the year, with the last admission one hour before closing time. It is also good to know that the entire Reggia is closed on Tuesdays, but open every other day of the year, with the exception of 25 December.
Part of the Reggia is also the Court Theatre, which I saw some stunning pictures of. However, they often use this space for filming, which was also the case when I visited. It is therefore a good idea to check the official website in advance, as they clearly communicate the days when the theatre is closed due to filming.
How to Get to Reggia di Caserta
Caserta has a train station, from which it is less than a ten minute walk to the palace and its gardens. If you travel from Naples, you can reach Caserta in less than an hour, and the regional train will only cost four euros each way.
If you come from Rome, like I did for example, it is also possible to travel by train, but I would recommend coming by car if that is an option for you. If you take the regional train from Rome to Caserta, which is the cheaper option, the journey will take around three hours or sometimes even more. You can also take a high speed train and make the trip in around two hours, but you will pay significantly more for that.
If you decide to take the train, I recommend downloading the Trenitalia app, where you can easily search for the best routes and ticket options.
Is the Reggia di Caserta worth visiting?
A very important question is, of course: is the Reggia di Caserta worth visiting? In my opinion, definitely. You might think my opinion is a bit clouded because I only had to pay 2 euros for my ticket (perks of still being 24), but even if I had paid the full price of 18 euros, I would still say it is absolutely worth it. You can easily spend an entire day at the Reggia di Caserta, and it is truly unlike any other palace I have ever seen.
The only downside is that besides the Reggia itself, there is not that much to do in the town of Caserta, which is quite small. However, I do have a great food tip. Less than a ten minute walk from the Reggia you can find I Masanielli di Francesco Martucci, an amazing pizzeria where I ate one of the best pizzas of my life (I am not even exaggerating). It is very famous, so if you want to eat there, keep in mind that you usually need to book a table at least two weeks in advance, but it is really worth it.
I hope with this blog post I could give you a little peek into my visit to the Reggia di Caserta and inspire you to visit this stunning palace in Italy for yourself. I definitely enjoyed feeling like a princess for a day, a feeling I always try to carry with me in my daily life.
Much love,
Juliette
