The History Behind Casina Vanvitelliana: From Bourbons to Modern Legends
Maybe it’s because it reflects on the waters of the lake (that of Fusaro in Bacoli), maybe it’s because it has such a particular architecture that it seems like a painting, but the Casina Vanvitelliana is one of those places where Italy takes on fairy-tale tones, colors, and contours.
Born as a hunting and fishing lodge for the Bourbons, the building owes its name to the architect Luigi Vanvitelli (already architect of the Royal Palace of Caserta) who began the works in the mid-eighteenth century, which were completed upon his death by his son Carlo Vanvitelli. Over the course of its history, the Casina Vanvitelliana has had many illustrious guests: Mozart, Rossini, but also royals such as the Tsar of Russia and Francis II, Emperor of Austria, and, in the 1950s, the then President of the Republic Luigi Einaudi.
It seems that none of them have been able to resist the timeless charm of the Casina Vanvitelliana, which, even today, does not fail to enchant its visitors especially at sunset, when it reveals its most evocative and romantic side.
What’s Inside the Casina Vanvitelliana?
The Casina Vanvitelliana is today probably one of the great ‘forgotten places’ of Italy and Campania, currently open only thanks to the work of volunteers who have never resigned themselves to its closure.
Built on a small island slightly away from the shore, to which it is connected by a wooden pier, it has a structure formed by three octagons that intersect with each other and a shape that makes it almost resemble a pagoda. The large windows on all sides of the house are splendid, from which you can admire unparalleled views of the lake.
The interiors are no less, full of numerous and peculiar works of art, some of which are by Vanvitelli’s friend, Hackert.
Curiosities About the Casina Vanvitelliana
The Casina Vanvitelliana is such a fairy-tale building that it has been renamed ‘Pinocchio’s House’ because it recalls the house of the Blue Fairy in the famous 1972 TV series directed by Luigi Comencini.
The world of cinema, moreover, does not seem to have been indifferent to the magical beauty of this jewel of Campania, which has often been chosen as the location for important films. This is the case of Ferdinando and Carolina by Lina Wertmuller, Luca the Smuggler by Lucio Fulci, and L’imbroglio nel lenzuolo with Maria Grazia Cucinotta.
