Tea at Trianon: The Palatine Chapel at Caserta

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

The Palatine Chapel at Caserta

From Liturgical Arts Journal:

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. (Read more):