The Largest Royal Palace in the World: Caserta, in Italy

Larger than life: Art that inspires us through the ages

Standing five stories tall and 810 feet wide, the Royal Palace of Caserta is the largest palace by volume in the world. This view of the back side of the palace only hints at the incredible two-mile-long promenade and waterway that stretch vastly across the Italian landscape like a man-made river adorned by impressive fountains and sculptures that are framed by natural forests. Carlo Pelagalli/CC BY-SA 3.0

Standing five stories tall with an incredible 1,200 rooms, Reggia di Caserta, or the Royal Palace of Caserta, is the largest royal palace in the world by volume. Honored as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997, the palace was called “the swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque” as part of its confirmation.

A highlight of Italian Baroque architecture, the otherworldly interiors of the palace were utilized in two “Star Wars” films. The immensely sprawling property encompasses 300 acres with the palace’s floor area making up over a half-million square feet.