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The Royal Palace of Caserta
La Reggia (the Royal Palace)in Caserta is Italy's answer to Versailles. It's an enormous palace built in the mid-1700s for the Bourbon kings of Naples. In the 18th century Naples rivaled Paris as one of Europe's most lively and sophisticated cities, so it's not surprising that King Charles III of Naples called upon renowned architect Vanvitelli to design an appropriately grand country residence for him. What is surprising is the scale of the place -- 1,200 rooms arranged around four vast courtyards, a church-size chapel, a theater, huge monumental staircases and a garden that stretches for two miles toward the hills.
