Musei: Series II | The Royal Palace of Caserta (Episode 1)

A 2019 production dedicated to the great Italian museums, narrated by Lella Costa. Audio in Italian with English subtitles.

Episode 1: The Royal Palace of Caserta (Italian: Reggia di Caserta), is a former royal residence in Caserta, Campania, 35km north of Naples in southern Italy, constructed by the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as their main residence as kings of Naples. Located 35 km north of the historic centre of Naples, Italy, the complex is the largest palace erected in Europe during the 18th century.

In 1997, the palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site; its nomination described it 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". The Royal Palace of Caserta is the largest former royal residence in the world, over 2 million m3 in volume and covering an area of 47,000 m2 and a floorspace of 138,000 square metres is distributed in the five stories of the building.

In April 1945, the palace was the site of the signing of the unconditional surrender of German and Italian RSI forces in Italy. During World War II, the soldiers of the US Fifth Army recovered here in a "rest center." The palace continued as Allied Force Headquarters in 1946 under Britain's Gen. Sir William Duthie Morgan and in 1947 under American Lt. Gen. John C. H. Lee, each serving as Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater of Operations. The palace was damaged by U.S. bombers in 1943, and was virtually emptied of furnishings during the war by looters. The Italian government took great pains to restore the building and return or replace decorations in keeping with the original pieces.

In 1998, the palace was a filming location for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, specifically as the interior of the Theed City Naboo Palace. It was used as a location for four days after it had been closed to visitors. Scenes with explosions were filmed on replica sets in Leavesden Studios in England to avoid damaging the actual palace. In addition, scenes from Attack of The Clones were also filmed at the palace, specifically in the Upper Vestibule. The Royal Palace of Caserta has also been the site of other notable movies, such as The Great, Mission: Impossible III, Angels & Demons, Ferdinando and Carolina, among others.

Episode 2: https://rumble.com/v5x7xen-musei-series-ii-palazzo-pitti-and-boboli-gardens-episode-2.html