Because of his young age and temperament, he was not immediately able to impose his opinion in his first years in government, influenced by the Spanish parent company and his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. After initial difficulties in the early days, Charles of Bourbon in the 25 years of his Neapolitan reign brought about many urban transformations and initiated several major public works, which are still present in the city today.

At the same time he sought to curb the privileges of clergymen, who were protected by fiscal and judicial immunity. These very actions brought him into conflict with Pope Clement XII, a clash later mitigated by the Treaty of Accomodation of 1741.

Charles of Bourbon's rule over Naples lasted until 1759, when his brother was called to succeed him. Ferdinand VI to the throne of Spain. Before returning to Madrid he abdicated in favor of his son Ferdinand and gave Naples the Farnese Collection, currently on display at the Capodimonte Museum.

Charles' last years in Spain were seen as a mixture of light and shadow, in contrast to the positive impact of the Neapolitan period. Indeed, the final phase of his life is marked by disagreements with his son and wife Maria Carolina in Naples, who were determined to disrupt Spanish hegemony at court.

Meanwhile, Spain comes out defeated by the Seven Years' War and some colonial territories are lost, including Ceuta, Gibraltar and Melilla, which pass to the British. Foreign policy failures are accompanied by economic development works to improve the backward Spanish society.

To limit the power of the Church, in 1767 the king expelled the Jesuits from the country, not without effect on the education system, and launched a series of urban reforms in Madrid. He is credited with the construction of the Prado Museum, one of Spain's best-known museum centers. Charles of Bourbon died in December 1788.

Charles of Bourbon's contribution to the development of Naples

The reign of Charles of Bourbon coincided with the years of the Neapolitan Enlightenment, the spread of which became especially popular around 1750, thanks to the contributions of intellectuals such as Pietro Giannone, Giambattista Vico, Gaetano Filangieri, Antonio Broggia and Antonio Genovesi. The latter was also the founder of the world's first chair of political economy.

Charles therefore fell in love with Naples and its people at first sight, so much so that he learned the Neapolitan language to be closer to his subjects. Because of this great sociocultural evolution, Naples soon became one of the great European capitals, a destination for the Grand Tourof people such as Stendhal and Goethe.

The mark left by the Spanish king, however, was mainly on the artistic, archaeological and architectural levels. Not surprisingly, he was responsible for the inauguration of the excavations at Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabia, as well as the construction in a few months of the Real Teatro di San Carlo.

Following the threat of the British in the port of Naples during the war against Austria and England, the king wished to stay somewhere more inland and better protected, hence the idea of the Royal Palace of Caserta, designed by architect Luigi Vanvitelli.

Other architectural constructions include the Reggia di Portici, the Reggia di Capodimonte, the Acquedotto Carolino, the Real Albergo dei Poveri, and the renovation of the Royal Palace. Also in Capodimonte was established the Royal Factory of Capodimonte who was in charge of porcelain production.

Charles of Bourbon's contribution led to other important works such as the Piazza del Mercatello, the obelisk in Piazza del Gesù, the Pizzofalcone neighborhood, the Granatello Fort, and the Marinella and Chiatamone roads.