Palatine Chapel of the Royal Palace of Caserta

Inside the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Palatine Chapel was begun in 1756 to a design by Luigi Vanvitelli, who drew inspiration from the chapel at Versailles while reworking its proportions and ornaments in a more linear, neoclassical key. Completed by his son Carlo, it was inaugurated with midnight Mass on Christmas 1784 in the presence of Ferdinand IV. Badly damaged by the bombing of 1943, it has been restored.We love the single hall with its coffered barrel vault and the lavish use of marble, especially from Mondragone. In the apse hangs the Immaculate Conception by Giuseppe Bonito, the only canvas to survive the war. A curious detail is the temporary altar by Enrico Maldarelli, never replaced by the planned one in pietra dura. We recommend following the concert programme, especially over Christmas.