Places visited
Valle di Maddaloni – Carolino Aqueduct, 18th century
A masterpiece of hydraulic engineering designed by Luigi Vanvitelli in 1753, the Carolino Aqueduct stretches nearly 40 km, carrying water from the Fizzo springs to the top of the waterfall in the gardens of the Royal Palace of Caserta. This extraordinary structure, a triumph of Bourbon ingenuity, is most famously marked by the Ponti della Valle: three levels of majestic arches spanning the Maddaloni valley, reminiscent of ancient Roman aqueducts.
Recale – Garden of the Dukes Suardo Guevara di Bovino, 18th century
A refined historic garden originally laid out in the Italian style with geometric hedges and topiary. On September 3, 1781, King Ferdinand IV of Naples granted a “carlino of water” from the Carolino Aqueduct to Duchess Annamaria Suardo Guevara di Bovino, known as the “gardener duchess”, to irrigate her garden in Recale. Later influenced by English ambassador William Hamilton and the fashion for naturalistic landscaping, the duchess integrated a centuries-old hunting wood and enriched the grounds with rare exotic plants—most notably, the Atroviolacea rubra, a rare violet camellia now known as the Camellia of the Dukes of Bovino.
Caserta – Royal Palace, Park, and English Garden
Commissioned by Charles of Bourbon in 1752 and designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, the Royal Palace of Caserta is the “Versailles of the South.” The monumental park unfolds along a grand perspective axis, culminating in an immense artificial waterfall. Along the way, mythological fountains and reflective pools enhance the royal route. The English Garden, designed by John Andrew Graefer from 1789 at the behest of Queen Maria Carolina of Austria, is among the earliest of its kind in southern Italy—25 hectares of rare plants, romantic ruins, winding paths, and hidden water channels.
Caserta – Garden of the Marquises Cocozza di Montanara, 19th century
A romantic and eclectic garden hidden behind a noble 15th-century palace. Two entrances lead to a harmonious design of citrus groves, baroque-style flowerbeds, a pond, ornamental basins, and a neoclassical peripteral temple. The residence was the summer retreat of Marchioness Luisa Cocozza, who redesigned the property in the late 19th century. In 1969, Pier Paolo Pasolini used the garden and palace as a filming location for scenes in The Decameron. The current landscape restoration, completed in 2020, is the work of British landscape architect Peter Curzon.
Storytelling of the Journey
A full day devoted to exploring gardens born through the element of water—essential to life, beauty, and landscape artistry. Water is the very soul of a garden: without it, a garden cannot exist.
Our journey begins at the Carolino Aqueduct, a stunning hydraulic structure designed in 1753 by Luigi Vanvitelli to bring water to the fountains and cascades of the Royal Park of Caserta.
We continue to Recale, where the Garden of the Dukes Suardo Guevara di Bovino welcomes us with its elegant Italian layout and remarkable botanical heritage. Historical documents remind us that in 1781, King Ferdinand IV granted water rights to the duchess for her garden, connecting the estate forever to the majestic aqueduct.
Next, we enter the magnificent gardens of the Royal Palace of Caserta: the formal Italian garden with its central axis and waterfall, and the romantic English Garden, the first of its kind in southern Italy, rich in natural beauty and hidden water features.
After a lunch break in a local restaurant, we close the day with a visit to the Garden of the Marquises Cocozza di Montanara—a tranquil, eclectic retreat shaped by water: ornamental pools, canals, a lake, and the gentle sound of water flowing among rare plants and architectural gems, all surrounded by a dreamy 19th-century atmosphere.
Info and Prices
Full-day tour, approx. 9 hours
Price per person from €120.00 (minimum 20 participants)
The fee includes:
Information and booking: campania@adsi.it
