Casina di Caccia Reale Borbonica, Royal hunting lodge in Serre, Italy
The Casina di Caccia Reale Borbonica is a two-level hunting lodge with a square footprint, four octagonal corner towers, and a central courtyard surrounded by double-story arcades. The design combines practical hunting lodge requirements with formal Baroque architectural principles.
Charles III of Bourbon commissioned engineer Giovanni Domenico Piana to build this lodge in 1752, and Luigi Vanvitelli revised the design a year later. The structure was created as a formal royal hunting venue for the Bourbon court.
The chapel Santa Maria delle Grazie features elliptical domes with lanterns that blend Byzantine elements into the Baroque structure. Light enters from above, creating a sense of space through geometry rather than decoration.
The building now serves as a military installation housing the Garibaldi Logistic Regiment and is not open to the general public. Access requires special arrangements made in advance through the FAI organization.
An equestrian stud farm on the grounds began raising the Persano horse breed in 1742, which later gained recognition during Napoleonic military campaigns. The breed developed a reputation for endurance and reliability in military service.
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