The Royal Palace of Caserta, the largest palace in the world, revolutionised world architecture, when built started in 1752 for Charles VII of Naples.

The palace sits in a typical example of the baroque garden stretches for 120 ha, partly on hilly terrain. It is also inspired by the park of Versailles. Fountains and cascades with architecture and hydraulics by Luigi Vanvitelli, rivalled those at Peterhof outside St. Petersburg.

A silk manufactory and model village was established nearby at San Leucio. Withhousing for its workers, a library, school and hospital and equal pay for men and women, San Leucio became the model for the world famous heritage sites of New Lanark in Scotland, Saltaire in England and many more forward looking manufactories.

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".