Wednesday, August 11, 2010
We returned to Capua today for the amphitheater and the Mithraeum. This time my knee was well enough that I could spend some time and take some pictures in the substructure of the amphitheater, which was interesting and strangely beautiful.
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| The substructure of the amphitheater with a drain running down the center |
The current amphitheater was built around the time of Hadrian and Trajan. I liked being able to see the drains under the structure, probably for washing away animal manure, etc. I saw some frescoes at the Mithraeum I hadn't noticed before.
We spent the afternoon at the Reggia di Caserta, a palace built by the Bourbon kings (of Spain, who ruled Naples) to rival the palace of Versailles in France. But it cost a lot, took a long time to complete, and was eventually used as more of a weekend hunting lodge than a center of royal power.
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| The horse and carriage behind the fountain gives an idea of the scale of the grounds at Reggia di Caserta |
The palace was influenced by discoveries in Herculaneum funded by the Bourbon kings. The style is Baroque but with hints of NeoClassicism to come. I especially liked “Venus' Bathing Pool” in the English Garden. For more pictures, visit this set on Flickr. If you wish to tour Italy in the summer of 2018, click for details.
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| "Venus' Bath" |
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