Vanvitelli 250th Anniversary: Year-Long Celebrations Across Italy

Italy marks 250 years since the death of Luigi Vanvitelli (1700–1773), the architect who bridged Rococo and Neoclassicism, with a year of events from March 1, 2023 to March 1, 2024. The program, launched at the Royal Palace of Caserta, includes extraordinary evening openings, new permanent installations in the Vanvitelli Rooms, temporary exhibitions, contemporary art residencies, and special coins minted by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato. The University of Naples Federico II hosts international study days starting February 28. The Royal Palace of Caserta, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, will complete major restorations of the Great Gallery, Theater, helical staircase, and state rooms. Other events include conferences at the Mole vanvitelliana in Ancona, workshops in Apricena on the stones used for the palace, and exhibitions of archival materials by the State Archives of Naples, the National Academy of San Luca, and the National Library of Naples. A special volume on the Royal Palace will be published by Treccani. The celebrations also feature a planetarium show, guided tours of the ancient bishop's palace in Falciano, and a marathon titled 'Running Vanvitelli'.