We recently stopped by for a day trip while visiting Rome. It was pure delight to see the chapel, clearly modeled after the Royal Chapel of Versailles. The palace is a very complex creation, with a famous staircase and theatre. The radiating visual effect of the palatine chapel is a true highlight -- nothing short of a triumph. "Palatine" means palace.
The architect behind this creation was Luigi Vanvitelli, a prominent Italian architect and painter of the eighteenth century. He is best remembered in Rome as the one one who reworked Michelangelo's design of Santa Maria degli Angeli e Martiri (1748-1765), where he converted the nave into a transept, relocating the entrance to the west side of the church while creating a new sanctuary.
Vanvitelli built the chapel at Caserta in 1777 based on his father's design. He was greatly inspired by te Royal Chapel of Versailles, completed in 1710. Similar in layout to the larger version in Versailles, it was inaugurated in the presence of King Ferdinand IV on Christmas Eve in the year 1784.
The chapel followed the two-story palatine model of Versailles, a tradition in France. All of the five successive royal chapels of Versailles followed this design model. This provided for a second story gallery for visitors with a unique view of the altar -- a fascinating liturgical design that combines what resembles an ancient sarcophagus with two cherubs holding up the altar mensa with their hands.
The walls and floors are decorated with marbles; the floor demonstrating a magnificent array of geometric designs. The coffered ceiling vault is rich in carvings and stuccos, largely covered in pure gold. The apse faces the royal gallery. The nave of the tribune level is flanked by Corinthian columns, a reflecting the new style of Neo-classicism.
Following are the recorded words of what King Charles of Borbone said to the architect in 1752: "For the House of God I have no limit. I want to spend everything it takes." Indeed, they did a magnificent job in creating a sublime Baroque chapel that has perfect balance and proportion and harmony. In many ways I prefer it to the Royal Chapel of Versailles.
The chapel was used for daily prayer, Mass, and special occasions such as weddings and the singing of the Te Deum on celebratory occasions that would include New Year's Day or the birth of a child or a military victory. The large sanctuary with ample floor space was designed to accommodate Pontifical rites.
During the Second World War the property was tragically damaged by a bomb raid on Sept. 24, 1943. However, it was restored while it was decided some bomb damage should be left visible as a testimony of the past. This damage is most evident in the scared marble columns.
Other sacred furnishings and paintings were lost on that sad day. The only surviving canvas is the altarpiece depicting Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, attributed to Giuseppe Bonito (1789). Above the painting is a golden cartouche with these words: MACVLA NON EST IN TE.
This beautiful chapel stands as an important testimony of human artistic achievement, built for the greater glory of God. It is said it was never completely finished. Perhaps one day we will live to see it replicated in some other part of the world as the design of a newly constructed church in the United States. Following are several images to help inspire the next generation of ecclesiastical architects.
