Caserta tourist information
There are lots of suppositions about the origin of the town: some historians think it originates from the ancient "Saticula", founded by the romans; other historians refer to a settling of the longobards from Capua in the VIII century.
During the norman rule, the town gained importance, due to the inclusion in the principality of Capua and to the ing of the abbazia of San Pietro ad Montes in Cassino and of the Cathedral. The building of the church of S.Andrea, some ruins of which are still visible, and of the church of Santa Maria, nowadays devoted to the Virgin Mary, date back to that period too.
There are lots of suppositions about the origin of the town: some historians think it originates from the ancient "Saticula", founded by the romans; other historians refer to a settling of the longobards from Capua in the VIII century. During the norman rule, the town gained importance, due to the inclusion in the principality of Capua and to the ing of the abbazia of San Pietro ad Montes in Cassino and of the Cathedral. The building of the church of S.Andrea, some ruins of which are still visible, and of the church of Santa Maria, nowadays devoted to the Virgin Mary, date back to that period too. Thereafter it became country of Ruggero II; a further change happened in the XIII century, when it became feoff of D'Aquino family. After numerous feudal transfers, having never had an urban look, it was held by the angevins and by the Acquaviva of Aragon. The progressive decline stopped only in 1750, when Caserta was bought by the Borbon; who built there the Royal Palace, the new residence for the kings of Naples. Vanvitelli was entrusted to build it. Caserta took the name of "Villa Reale", and became the main town of "terra di lavoro". In 1860 it was conquered by Garibaldi. During the period of fascism the province was abolished and during the last war it was the seat of the allied forces headquarter. In 1945 general von Vietinghof signed there the surrender of the german troops in Italy.
