Above the plain of Caserta, the Belvedere of San Leucio tells a story that is different from the royal ceremony of the nearby palace. The former hunting lodge became the centre of a silk-manufacturing project under the Bourbon king Ferdinand IV. Today, the monumental complex houses a Silk Museum and preserves the memory of a planned workers’ community. It belongs to the same World Heritage property as the Royal Palace, park and Carolino Aqueduct, but its focus is production, labour and the attempt to shape a new settlement around an industry.
The Belvedere stands on a hill overlooking Caserta. The Reggia di Caserta’s official account traces the royal interest in the site to Charles of Bourbon, who acquired it in 1750; Ferdinand IV later entrusted its restoration and expansion to architect Francesco Collecini. The Belvedere served as a country residence, with royal apartments set beside spaces that would become industrial. This proximity between court and workshop was deliberate: San Leucio was conceived as a place where a royal estate could also foster manufacturing.
