The Reggia di Caserta (Royal Palace), designed by Vanvitelli, with its Park (and famous waterfall) and English Garden, was built in the mid-18th century on commission of Charles VII, the King of Naples, who wanted it to rival the Palace of Versailles. Although he never slept there, having resigned from the throne to become the King of Spain, his son and successor, Ferdinand IV, oversaw its completion and residence. The Palace was also the site of the Allied headquarters during WWII and where Germany formally surrendered in May 1945, ending the European theatre of war. Caserta is easily reached by train from Naples and is a lovely place to roam on a sunny day, even in winter. In 1996, the Palace of Caserta was listed among the World Heritage Sites on the grounds that it was "the swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque, from which it adopted all the features needed to create the illusions of multidirectional space."
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