Acquedotto Carolino

A 38km Bourbon aqueduct — including the spectacular three-tiered Ponti della Valle bridge — built to supply the Reggia's fountains.

The Acquedotto Carolino was built between 1753 and 1770 and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Reggia complex. The Ponti della Valle at Valle di Maddaloni is the structure most visitors seek out — it is one of the largest aqueduct bridges in Europe, and its scale only becomes apparent when you stand beneath its arches.

The aqueduct is not within the palace grounds and requires a separate trip — the Ponti della Valle is about 10 kilometres south-east of Caserta near Maddaloni. It is freely visible from the road and there are paths that allow you to walk along the top. Worth the detour for anyone interested in Bourbon engineering or who has already done the Reggia and wants to see more.

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A story
When Vanvitelli designed the fountains for the Reggia, he faced a basic problem: there was no water source near Caserta powerful enough to feed them. His solution was the Acquedotto Carolino, a 38-kilometre engineering project that tapped springs near Montesarchio and carried their water across the landscape on a series of arched bridges. The most dramatic of these, the Ponti della Valle near Maddaloni, stands 55 metres tall and nearly 530 metres long across three tiers of arches.

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