VANVITELLI, Luigi

Luigi Vanvitelli designed simultaneously the palace and the gardens of Caserta for Charles III Bourbon. The fountains which he planned for either side of the waterfall were to illustrate ancient myths related to the theme of water. By 1773, when he died, none of them had been carried out. His son, Carlo, succeeded him, but finances were much reduced and only the Diana and Actaeon group conforms to the preliminary studies. Though executed by second-rate sculptors who drew inspiration directly from Hellenistic models, they nevertheless form a charming and animated ensemble.

As in Rome, the last great Baroque achievement of the Neapolitan circle is connected with fountains. Caserta follows the example of Versailles, and the garden too is fashioned after this model. Even the mythological programme of the nineteen fountains, planned by Vanvitelli from 1752 onwards, is reminiscent of Versailles. What was eventually carried out (1776-79) under Luigi’s son Carlo is much less elaborate than the original projects, but the fountains which exist surpass in extent and grandeur anything that had been done in Italy before. There are, above all, the multi-figured groups of Diana and Actaeon at both sides of the great cascade.

The original church was destroyed by fire in 1757. The reconstruction followed a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, and was completed by his son Carlo. The ground plan followed the pattern developed in the sixteenth century for the Roman church of Il Gesù.

The photo shows the fa�ade of the church.

In 1751, Vanvitelli was commissioned by the Spanish king to construct the government palace in Caserta and the neighbouring area of the city. Vanvitelli, who was accustomed to formulating his designs on the basis of clearly defined requirements, first made an analysis of the functions required of the royal palace, which, like Versailles, was to accommodate the whole administration. He proposed a building of enormous proportionsTwelve hundred rooms are grouped around four courtyards laid out as squares. The centrepiece includes a ‘gran portico’ from which four galleries radiate. The fa�ades indicate two main storeys on a high, double-ground-floor structure. Three pavilions, situated at either end and in the centre, give definition to the fa�ade.

The picture shows the fa�ade of the building.

View the Ground plan of the Royal Residence, Caserta.

The photo shows part of the fa�ade.

The photo shows a detail of the fa�ade.

The sixteenth-century church on the site of the present church was destroyed by fire in 1757. The reconstruction followed a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, and was completed by his son Carlo. The church as we see it today was consecrated in 1774 and the concave fa�ade added in 1782.

The picture shows the fa�ade of the church.

The original church was destroyed by fire in 1757. The reconstruction followed a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, and was completed by his son Carlo. The ground plan followed the pattern developed in the sixteenth century for the Roman church of Il Gesù.

The photo shows the nave looking towards the altar.

From the octagonal vestibule in the centre, Italy’s largest ceremonial staircase ascends at right angles. Its rather austere decoration may be fashioned after Versailles, but the staircase hall as such and the staircase with its central flight leading to a broad landing from where two flights turn along the walls and end under a screen of three arches - all this is North Italian, which ultimately points back to Longhena’s scenographic staircase in San Giorgio Maggiore.

The picture shows the staircase.

The sixteenth-century church on the site of the present church was destroyed by fire in 1757. The reconstruction followed a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, and was completed by his son Carlo. The church as we see it today was consecrated in 1774 and the concave fa�ade added in 1782.

The picture shows the nave.

The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli was built inside the ruined frigidarium of the Roman Baths of Diocletian in the Piazza della Repubblica. Michelangelo Buonarroti worked from 1562 to 1564 to adapt a section of the remaining structure of the baths to enclose a church. The present opulent interior is the result of a major reworking by Luigi Vanvitelli in the 18th century, which obscures Michelangelo’s intentions.