Tragic decline of the world's biggest palace: Desperate mayor demands army protects 1,200-room Naples masterpiece from looters and vandals
The world’s largest royal palace is
under threat from vandals and looters, with damages so bad the local
mayor is calling on the Italian army to step in to protect it.
Reggia de Caserta, a former royal residence, is falling into ruins as a result of light-fingered tourists and time taking its toll on the giant palace without the funds for even the most urgent repairs.
The palace, located in Caserta, 20 miles north of Naples, boasts 1,200 rooms, two dozen state apartments, a grand park with waterfalls and several famous gardens as well as paintings and sculptures which has attracted art lovers for centuries.
In 1997 it made it onto UNESCO’s world heritage site, and was described by the organisation as ‘the swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque, from which it adopted all the features needed to create the illusions of multidirectional space.’
Reggia de Caserta has played both the home of Queen Amidala and Queen Jamilla in the latest Star Wars trilogy, featured in the film version of Angels and Demons and doubled up as the Vatican in Mission Impossible III.
Despite the honours and Hollywood fame, visitor numbers which used to hit 500,000 per annum, are dwindling by 50,000 a year as a result of poor maintenance, according to the Sunday Times.
Its annual budget of under €500,000 (£426,000) is not enough to keep up with the constant repairs, nor to pay for sufficient security.
Graffiti can be found all over the
palace, marble structures are collapsing as a result of rusting iron
clamps and thefts are common.
The lack of security cameras has been blamed for a number of recent fires and the palace’s court theatre has been closed for over a decade.
Now the mayor of Caserta, Pio Del Gaudio, is demanding ‘immediate attention’ from the Italian government urging them to supply 24-hour police protection and to consider drafting in the army to guard the palace.
Local arts chiefs blame tourists for the damage, saying they lack manners and respect for the site.
‘The decay is due to the incivility of thousands of people who came from nearby areas,’ Paola Raffaella David, superintendent for the heritage sites in Caserta, said.
Reggia de Caserta, a former royal residence, is falling into ruins as a result of light-fingered tourists and time taking its toll on the giant palace without the funds for even the most urgent repairs.
The palace, located in Caserta, 20 miles north of Naples, boasts 1,200 rooms, two dozen state apartments, a grand park with waterfalls and several famous gardens as well as paintings and sculptures which has attracted art lovers for centuries.
Scroll down for video
Royal protection: Reggia di Caserta, is falling
to ruins as a result of lack of funds and years of vandalism and
looting, and the government is now being urged to send the Italian army
to protect it
Stone guards: Magnificent marble statues and
fearsome lions no longer scare off thieves and vandals who have helped
see the palace fall apart by stealing parts of the interior and spraying
graffiti on the walls
On-screen dazzle: The throne hall inside the
palace which has been used as a set for several Hollywood blockbusters,
including Star Wars and Mission Impossible
Built in the mid-18th century for the
Bourbon kings of Naples, after a design by architect Luigi Vantielli
made to rival the Versailles, it took nearly a century to complete.In 1997 it made it onto UNESCO’s world heritage site, and was described by the organisation as ‘the swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque, from which it adopted all the features needed to create the illusions of multidirectional space.’
Reggia de Caserta has played both the home of Queen Amidala and Queen Jamilla in the latest Star Wars trilogy, featured in the film version of Angels and Demons and doubled up as the Vatican in Mission Impossible III.
Despite the honours and Hollywood fame, visitor numbers which used to hit 500,000 per annum, are dwindling by 50,000 a year as a result of poor maintenance, according to the Sunday Times.
Its annual budget of under €500,000 (£426,000) is not enough to keep up with the constant repairs, nor to pay for sufficient security.
Royal nap: One of the bedrooms in Reggia di
Caserta which, despite its fame and hundreds of thousands of visitors a
year, is falling apart
The library in Reggia de Caserya, a 1,200-room
palace built in the 18th century for the Bourbon kings of Naples, is at
risk from visitors with sticky fingers
Suffering: One of the bedrooms in the palace, located in Caserta, about 20 miles north of Naples
The artworks inside the former royal palace,
such as these at the 'Great Staircase of Honour' may be at risk,
according to the mayor of Caserta
Plea for aid: The mayor of the town of Caserta
wants a 24-hour police guard and for the government to bring in the
Italian army to protect the palace and its treasures
The lack of security cameras has been blamed for a number of recent fires and the palace’s court theatre has been closed for over a decade.
Now the mayor of Caserta, Pio Del Gaudio, is demanding ‘immediate attention’ from the Italian government urging them to supply 24-hour police protection and to consider drafting in the army to guard the palace.
Local arts chiefs blame tourists for the damage, saying they lack manners and respect for the site.
‘The decay is due to the incivility of thousands of people who came from nearby areas,’ Paola Raffaella David, superintendent for the heritage sites in Caserta, said.
Diving numbers: Reggia di Caserta attracts
500,000 visitors per year, a dumber which is dwindling by about 50,000
per annum as a result of the decay of the palace
Honoured site: The magnificent palace and its
famous gardens saw Reggia de Caserta enter UNESCO's list of World
Heritage Sites in 1997