English Garden in the Park of the Royal Palace of Caserta

About this activity

The English Garden of Caserta is a green space of modest size, which is developed in a "hidden" part of the Park of the Royal Palace of Caserta. Near the great waterfall that stands at the apex of the "waterway," stands this enchanting garden that is home to exotic species from all over the world. A small botanical garden in neoclassical style that is the highlight of the beautiful royal complex.

A small vegetable garden in neoclassical style: the nobles' walk

The English Garden is spread over an area of 24 hectares, adjacent to the Park of the Royal Palace of Caserta. It is hidden from prying eyes because of its location: if it is not known, the English Garden can go totally unnoticed. Next to the Waterfall, where the fountain of Diana and Actaeon stands, is the entrance to the magnificent garden desired by Queen Maria Carolina, wife of Ferdinand IV of Bourbon. Maria Carolina wanted a place for her noble walks that was in harmony with nature. An enchanted garden, completely immersed in the peace of the greenery of exotic, even centuries-old plants, where you can stroll lulled by the sound of small streams and the beauty of the "ruins" that enrich the landscape, making this place truly special. To those who walk its paths, which penetrate through the gardens and meadows, it seems as if they are entering a way of their own where the watchword is serenity.

In addition to admiring the beautiful place and enjoying such peace, it is highly recommended to choose a bench where you can sit and carve out some time to reconnect with the nature that reigns supreme here. The English garden, in fact, was designed, according to the fashion of the time, on the juxtaposition and alternation of naturalistic elements that make the whole, a deliberately unspoiled place.

The wonders of the English garden among particular buildings and its exotic plants

The various paths that branch out within the English garden lead to truly fascinating environments that surprise visitors, leaving them pleasantly captivated.

The Venus Bath

The Venus Bath is a truly picturesque space. It is set in an artificial pond, irregularly shaped, set at the foot of a centuries-old specimen of Taxus baccata that reigns over the grove of holm oaks and laurels that surround its waters. The goddess Venus, is depicted in the act of emerging from the water in all her beauty. On another side of the pond also stands the Cryptoporticus, a mock nymphaeum with statues from the Bourbon archaeological excavations and the Farnese collection. Finally, small islands spring up among its waters, one of which is used as a shelter for ducks, swans and other anatids that stop in the pond. Water lily plants, with their spectacular flowers, color the aquatic environment.

The English Mansion

The English Mansion, is a beautiful building in front of which one unexpectedly finds oneself following another path. It was once the home of the gardener Graefer. Finally, behind the bars of a circular gate with geometric patterns, is kept the Aperia, a space formerly used for beekeeping and related honey production. Later it was used as a greenhouse for growing ornamental plants and flowers.

The exotic plants in the English Garden.

Beautiful exotic plants make this English garden, almost a small botanical garden in the Park of the Royal Palace of Caserta. Among its paths, in fact, we find spectacular centuries-old specimens of the aforementioned Taxus baccata (a tree of death that is completely poisonous but has provided us with anti-cancer principles), the majestic Cedrus libani, the camphor tree i.e., Cinnamomum camphora, and what is said to be the first Camellia japonica (or simply camellia) plant, which arrived in Europe from Japan.

Curiosities and origin of the English Garden of Caserta

The English Garden did not belong to the original project that Luigi Vanvitelli had presented to the king. In fact, it was designed and conducted by gardener Graefer at the behest of Queen Maria Carolina of Austria in 1785. She wished for something to be created that would surpass in beauty the Petit Trianon in the Park of the Palace of Versailles wanted by her sister, Queen Marie Antoinette. Thus was born the English garden, which because of its artistic beauty, landscaping and its importance with respect to the exotic plants that were planted here, became a little corner of paradise from the characteristics of a botanical garden in the Park of the Royal Palace of Caserta as well as the enchanted place that fascinates its visitors today.