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Introducing Caserta
The one compelling reason to stop at this otherwise nondescript town, 22km north of Naples, is to visit the colossal Palazzo Reale. Dubbed the Italian Versailles, the vast palace is one of the greatest – and last – achievements of Italian baroque architecture. It is also where Tom Cruise shot scenes for Mission Impossible III and where George Lucas filmed the interior shots of Queen Amidala’s royal residence in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones.
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Caserta was founded in the 8th century by the Lombards on the site of a Roman emplacement atop Monte Tifata, expanding onto the plains below from the 12th century onwards. The construction of the Bourbons’ grand palace assured the town an importance it would otherwise never have known.
Caserta’s tourist office (0823 32 11 37; Palazzo Reale; 8.30am-3.40pm Mon-Sat) is near the entrance to the palace gardens.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
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