Caserta – After four months of work, the Water Lily Pond in the English Garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta has returned to its former glory. Restoration has been completed on the Ruined Temple and the Swan Shelter, two small structures that enhance one of the most poetic corners of the park, commissioned by Maria Carolina of Habsburg and designed by Carlo Vanvitelli in the late 18th century.
The Ruined Temple, built between 1793 and 1798, is a "fake ruin" conceived in accordance with the Bourbon taste for evoking classical antiquity through glimpses and evocative details. Over the course of the 20th century, the structure underwent several reconstruction and painting interventions, but the recent restoration—financed with ordinary Museum funds and entrusted to the firm Fratelli Navarra srl—followed a strictly conservative approach, aimed at safeguarding its authenticity and the original material.
The interventions included the disinfection and disinfestation of the wall facings, mechanical cleaning, consolidation and protection of the plaster with lacertini.
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The two stucco statues that decorate the niches of the main façade, eighteenth-century works in neoclassical style, have also been restored: they were damaged and at risk of falling, and have been made safe with stainless steel bars and retouched with watercolour in the areas where the paint layer was abraded.
During the restoration, the Palace transformed the construction site into an opportunity for learning and participation. During the European Heritage Days, a floating platform installed on the lake allowed visitors to observe the restorers' work up close, transforming the project into a hands-on history and technique lesson.
With the completion of the works, the English Garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta regains one of its most evocative views: the Lake of the Water Lilies, with the Ruined Temple and its swans, once again enchants visitors, reflecting the grandeur and delicacy of Bourbon art in the silence of the waters.
Comments (1)
The Water Lily Lake is very beautiful again after the work. But I wonder if the restoration was done well and whether it will last. Let's hope the statues don't get ruined again. It's important to preserve our heritage.