CASERTA, the capital of the district of Terra di Lavoro, in the province of Naples, and an episcopal see. It is situated on a rich alluvial plain, and has nearly 30,000 inhabitants. Caserta is mainly noticeable for its huge palace built by Vanvitelli for Charles III., which has a reputation that most architectural judges would probably deem to be superior to its merits. It is one of the stock sights for visitors to Naples, and has for many years served to but little other purpose. The length of the south front is stated to be 780 feet, the height 125 feet, and the number of windows in each floor 37; and such details as these best express the merits of a pile, which is in truth a monument of vulgar ostentation and wasted wealth. The harmony of the design is praised, and the building in truth possesses that easily-attained harmony which results from perfect symmetry. The travertine of which it is built was brought from the quarries of St Jorio, near Capua. The great staircase, gorgeously lined with lwmachello marble from Trapani, has, however, some originality of conception and merit of design and execution. Besides all the usual appurtenances of a palace, including a chapel gorgeous with lapis-lazuli and gilding, the building contains a theatre, with, as the visitor is told, forty boxes, besides that of the royal family. The palace is at present wholly useless, and serves only to lay an additional burden on the king of Italy’s civil list, which is charged with the maintenance of so vast a number of now unneeded palaces, the heritage of all the sovereigns he has superseded. The gardens, adorned with numerous cascades and much decorative sculpture after the old Italian fashion, are perhaps better worthy of mention than the palace. They are extensive and command some fine ...