In 1872 the National Library of Naples acquired a collection of Vanvitelli manuscripts from Camillo Minieri-Riccio for 1200 lire. The collection, which includes about 500 papers, is composed of reports, letters, drafts, technical drawings, work and expense notes, in addition to the pamphlet containing the Narration of the celebrations for the wedding between Ferdinand IV and Maria Carolina of Habsburg.
On the occasion of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the architect's death, the Library presents from May 31st to September 15th some of the most significant documents, which allow us to follow the intense activity of Luigi Vanvitelli at the court of the Bourbons. In 1751, Vanvitelli received from Charles of Bourbon the task of building the Royal Palace of Caserta.
The papers on display not only clarify aspects of the economic and human resources relating to the construction of the Palace and the gardens, but also report technical opinions and projects aimed at the construction of the Carolingian aqueduct. They also provide valuable reports on the Neapolitan construction sites, including the Barracks at the Ponte della Maddalena, the Foro Carolino, Palazzo Doria D'Angri, and represent an important testimony of the collaboration between Vanvitelli and Weber for the excavations of Herculaneum.
Two topographical maps drawn by the Royal Topographer Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni at the end of the eighteenth century show the places, between the area of Naples and Terra di Lavoro, where Luigi Vanvitelli was engaged from 1751 to 1772. At the direct request of the sovereign Charles of Bourbon, Vanvitelli contributed to the first volume of Le Antichità di Ercolano spiegate, published in 1757.
Article published on May 26, 2023 - 12:10 pm
