Casina Vanvitelliana
Lago Fusaro, Bacoli
KnownCastles

The story
An octagonal pavilion that seems to float on Lago Fusaro, a Bourbon hunting lodge reached by a little bridge, among reflections and morning mists.
Access
€ ~5 Pro Loco
The story
The Casina Vanvitelliana is the hunting and rest lodge that the Bourbons had built on an islet of Lake Fusaro, at Bacoli. Carlo Vanvitelli designed it, completing it in 1782 on a project begun by his father Luigi, for Ferdinand IV. It is one of the most elegant and photographed buildings of the Campi Flegrei.
What to see
A pavilion of unusual form — three octagonal bodies that interpenetrate, almost a pagoda on the water — connected to the shore by a wooden jetty. Suspended over the lake among the reeds, it is a small eighteenth-century marvel; today it hosts cultural events and a bookshop on the lake.
Tips
The Casina is admired from the shore of Lake Fusaro; visits inside and events have their own arrangements and hours: check on the official channels. You are in the Campi Flegrei, in an area of active bradyseism: check for any restrictions. Come at sunset for the light on the water.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Casina Vanvitelliana?
A Bourbon hunting lodge of 1782 on an islet of Lake Fusaro at Bacoli, the work of Carlo Vanvitelli, connected to the shore by a jetty: one of the symbols of the Campi Flegrei.
Can you visit the Casina Vanvitelliana?
It is admired from the shore; inside visits and events have their own arrangements and hours, to be checked on the official channels.
Where is the Casina Vanvitelliana?
On Lake Fusaro, at Bacoli, in the Campi Flegrei.
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