The Throne Hall, Royal Palace of Caserta, Naples, Italy.

King Charles VII of Naples commissioned the Royal Palace of Caserta in Italy in 1752 with the specific goal of creating a royal residence that would rival the Grande of Versailles in France. It took 93 years to complete the palace from the laying of the first stone in 1752 until its final completion in 1845 during the reign of Ferdinand II of Bourbon. Walk on the throne hall itself, a symbol of grandeur and power, which was the last room to be finished, started much later in 1811. From the antechamber of the ambassadors, called Sala di Astria, you enter the throne room, which, after the Great Gallery, is the largest in the Royal Palace of Caserta. You will see a lavish gilded space designed to impress visitors with the power of the Bourbon kings. The design process for this hall was particularly long and complicated. Almost all the best Napolitan artists of the mid-19th century participated in the decorations. Classic allegories and Bourbon symbols fill the walls along with the portraits of the kings of Naples. Before it was completed, the Alexander Hall was used as a throne room. The throne hall is 40 meters long, 15 meters high and is richly decorated with gilded stucco, ornate moldings and chandeliers. The frieze above the flat columns is richly decorated with coniocopious grotesques and 44 medallions with all the kings of Naples. The monumental fresco on the vault by Gennaro Moldarelli commemorates the laying of the first stone of the Royal Palace, which took place in 1752. The throne itself is made of carved gilded wood with symbols like two winged lions as armrests for the Bourbons and mermaids for Naples. Vesuvius' circle is part of a contemporary art exhibition. The circle of 52 lava stones refers to the desire to simplify the appearances of reality to grasp its essence. The throne hall at Caserta Palace is undoubtedly an outstanding example of 19th-century Napolitan art.