Seen from above, the Phlegraean Fields look like a system of atolls nestled in an exotic place. Narrow strips of land form volcanic craters where, over the millennia, sea water has mixed with rain. Forming some of the most fascinating lakes in the whole of Southern Italy, full of history and mystery.
A few minutes drive from Naples, this place is where the Greek colonists founded their first settlement on these coasts. And where the ancient Romans placed the gateway to the underworld, as narrated by Virgil, in the depths of Lake Avernus. A few kilometers further up, towards the sea, other lake mirrors attract the attention of the traveler. This is the case, for example, of Lake Fusaro.
Ancient hunting reserve of the Bourbon dynasty, the lake still houses a small jewel of late Baroque and neoclassical architecture. The Real Casino Bourbonico del Fusaro - called Casina Vanvitelliana in an endearing way - was commissioned by King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon (not surprisingly a great lover of hunting trips) and designed by Carlo Vanvitelli, son of the famous Luigi to whom it is owed - among other things - that monumental masterpiece that is the Royal Palace of Caserta.
Ph. Enrico Nocera
At first glance you can already see the elegant forms that the Bourbon casino derives from the most popular architectures in the second half of the eighteenth century. Neoclassicism in Southern Italy was influenced, in particular, by the findings of Pompeii and, above all, Herculaneum. The aristocratic families of the time competed for who could build the most solemn and elegant building, inspired by the dictates of ancient architecture. The members of the ruling family certainly could not exempt themselves from this recovery - both artistic and architectural - of the sensitivity of the time. It was thus, with this idea intimately linked to the history of its places, that the Royal Bourbon Casino was conceived.
Ph. Enrico Nocera
We are talking about three octagonal buildings that intertwine at the top. Thus forming a roof that resembles the profile of a pagoda. Towards sunset, the casino takes on even more fascinating forms: the sun, setting behind it, plays with its own backlight. The soft rays of twilight caress these solemn and austere walls, giving them movement and sinuosity. It is not surprising that Ferdinand of Bourbon wanted to build his buen retiro right here, not only for his beloved hunting trips. The still tranquility of an enchanted place still emerges today on the shores of Lake Fusaro, located ten minutes from the hustle and bustle of the city and, at the same time, suspended in its aristocratic beauty.
Ph. Enrico Nocera
Beyond these shores, the profile of the island of Ischia closes the natural setting with an embrace that ideally extends towards the mainland. The Campi Flegrei, covered by the yellow of the tuff, light up here in all their charm. A charm to be enjoyed slowly, as we would for a good glass of wine. Walk on the shores of this lake; reach the bridge at the entrance to the hunting lodge; admire its shapes while the sound of the water caresses our hearing. Out of time experiences that lead us back to an intimate connection with Nature. Small miracles that here, and in a few other places, it is still possible to live.