Caserta Tour: from the Royal Palace to the ancient villages

As historical residence belonging to the royal house of the Bourbons of Naples, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it was commissioned by the King of Naples Carlo di Borbone, who, struck by the beauty of the Caserta landscape and eager to give a dignified seat of representation to the government of the capital Naples and his reign, he wanted to build a palace such as to resist the comparison with that of Versailles. Initially it was thought that it would be built in Naples, but Charles of Bourbon, aware of the considerable vulnerability of the capital to possible attacks (especially from the sea), thought of building it towards the hinterland, in the Caserta area: a safer place and in any case not too far from Naples. the cost of the full ticket to access historic apartments, park and garden is 12 euros. the reduced ticket, reserved for people aged between 18 and 25 not yet completed, costs 6 euros instead.

After the visit to the Royal Palace of Caserta, before reaching the medieval village of "Caserta Vecchia" we will stop to taste the famous buffalo mozzarella.
The white gold of Caserta: this is the story of mozzarella
Famous all over the world for its unique flavor, given by the exclusive use of whole Mediterranean buffalo milk, mozzarella is the symbol of the province and the most appreciated souvenir for those who live outside and want to taste the flavor of our land.
Arrived in Caserta Vecchia (fraction of Caserta) it is a medieval village that stands on the slopes of the Tifatini mountains at 401 meters above sea level and 10 km from Caserta (in a north-easterly direction), although the distance as the crow flies is only 4 km. In the Middle Ages it was the center of Caserta; since 1960 it is among the Italian national monuments.The origins of Casertavecchia are still uncertain, but according to some information extrapolated from a writing by the Benedictine monk Erchemperto, Historia Langobardorum Beneventanorum as early as 861 AD there was an urban nucleus called Casa Hirta (from the Latin : "village at the top").
The village has undergone various dominations throughout history.
It was originally a Lombard dominion: Landolfo di Capua took possession of the city after the death of his father, Count Landone; but his uncle Pandone the Raptor manages to grab it, after 863 Casertavecchia was occupied by the Rapace's son, Landolfo. But only in 879 with the other son of the Rapace, Pandolfo, does the series of the counts of Caserta begin.
Following the Saracen raids and the devastation of the cities of the plain, the inhabitants and the clergy of the surrounding areas, in particular those of the disappeared city of Calatia, found a safe refuge in Casertavecchia, protected by the mountains. In 1062 the Norman domination began which brought the town at the highest level of splendor with the construction of the current cathedral, consecrated to the cult of San Michele Arcangelo. With alternating vicissitudes, the village passed under Swabian rule with Riccardo di Lauro (1232-1266), who increased the importance of the country also from a political point of view.
In 1442 the village passed under Aragonese rule, thus beginning its long and progressive decline: only the bishop and the seminary remained in Casertavecchia.With the advent of the Bourbons and the construction of the Royal Palace, Caserta became the new center of all activities at the expense of Casertavecchia, to which, in 1842, the bishopric was removed, also transferred to Caserta. In 1960 the settlement of Caserta Vecchia was included in the list of Italian national monuments. Since then the country has experienced a gradual return of interest, mainly linked to tourism

The village of old Caserta, here there is the calm of the past, you walk calmly through these cobbled streets, you take a tour of the shops, you often enjoy the panorama that presents itself in several points, you arrive in the square, you contemplate the splendor of the cathedral and the bell tower. Here's what you can visit:
The Tower of the Hawks
The ruins of the castle
The Church of the Annunziata
Bishop's Square
The Cathedral of San Michele Arcangelo
The Dome of the Cathedral
The Bell Tower of Casertavecchia
The alleys of the historic center
Characteristic shops and mischievous "spirits".
The House of the Double Windows