At the head of the first flight of stairs, apartments branch off in different directions, which, however, were only slightly furnished. The first room we entered was a chapel, most elegantly although only partially fitted up. After this we were ushered into a suit of spacious saloons and bed-chambers, with baths, &c. The ground-floor contains a beautiful theatre, on the model of the present one of St. Carlos, and so contrived as to admit of a side being thrown open, to exhibit the natural scenery of the country around. This palace also has a circular road from the bottom to the top, to allow the king to ride up or down at pleasure. Our time was too short, to enable us to take more than a cursory view of this immense pile of building, as we had determined to visit the aqueduct of Madeloni, before our return to Naples, and which was some miles out of the direct road. The palace of Caserta was commenced by Charles III. of Spain, in the year 1757, under the celebrated architect Vanvitelli, and is not complete at the present day. I shall finish my account of it with the following description from Dr. Moore. “This palace is built on a plain where ancient Capua stood. It was thought prudent to found a building, on which such sums of money were to be lavished, at a considerable distance from Mount Vesuvius. It were to be wished, that the contents of the cabinet of Portici were removed from the same dangerous neighbourhood. That he might not be limited in ground for the gardens, may have been his Spanish majesty’s motive for choosing that his palace should be at a distance from Naples; and that it might not be exposed to insult from an enemy’s fleet, was probably the reason that determined him to place it at a distance from the sea. “This immense building is of a rectangular form, seven hundred and fifty English feet, by five hundred and eighty; about one hundred and twelve feet high, comprehending five habitable stories, which contain such a number of apartments as will accommodate the most numerous court without any accessary buildings. “The rectangle is divided into four courts, each of about two hundred and fifty-two feet, by one hundred and seventy. In each of the two principal fronts, are three corresponding gates, forming three openings, which pierce the whole building. The middle gate forms the entry to a magnificent portico, through which the coaches drive. In the middle of that, and in the centre of the edifice, there is a vestibule, of an octagonal form, which opens into the four grand courts at four sides of the octagon; two other sides open into the portico, one to the staircase; and at the eighth side there is a statue of Hercules crowned by victory with this inscription; VIRTUS POST FORTIA FACTA CORONAT.