Pictures by Fabrizio Fiorenzano – words by: www.bacoli.it
The Bourbon park of Bacoli is one of the most beautiful and romantic sites in Campania.
Bourbon park lake Fusaro
On the waters of Lake Fusaro stands the Casino Reale dei Borbone, more commonly known as Casina Vanvitelliana , named after the architect Carlo Vanvitelli who built it. It is a small villa on two levels commissioned by King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon in 1782 for his hunting and fishing trips but, above all, as a place of leisure and relaxation, far from the duties of the palace. A good living room to receive illustrious guests such as the highest officials of the eighteenth-century nobility and also internationally famous artists, such as Mozart and Rossini.
The Casina Vanvitelliana is one of the main sites of historical and cultural interest in the city of Bacoli, in the Campi Flegrei, and in the entire Campania Region. It takes its name from the architect Carlo Vanvitelli (1739-1821), Director of all the Royal Factories (a position inherited from his father Luigi), who built it on commission from King Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, on the remains of a small island south-east of Lake Fusaro, a few meters from the gardens of the entire Bourbon complex.
The Casina Vanvitelliana, together with the English Garden, the Royal Palace of Caserta and the Villa di Chiaia (now Villa Comunale of Naples), represents one of the last works of Carlo Vanvitelli (1782), commissioned by the royal dynasty of the Bourbons.
Lake Fusaro, located in the homonymous hamlet of the municipality of Bacoli, is the largest of the 4 Phlegraean lakes. For centuries, mussels and oysters have been farmed here, famous for their particular flavor, probably due to the characteristics of the water, where volcanic springs flow. In the 18th century it hosted the hunting and fishing reserve of the Bourbons. In previous times it was a holiday destination for the ancient Romans. Today it is a historical and naturalistic jewel that is worth discovering.
Lake Fusaro is the largest, in terms of size, of the 4 lakes present within the Campi Flegrei area (Lake Fusaro, Lake Averno, Lake Lucrino and Lake Miseno ). Originally it was an open gulf, then starting from the 1st century AD the waves began to form a strip of sand, which over time has grown larger and larger, separating the basin from the sea (however today it remains connected to it via three mouths).
The lake has a place of honor among the most famous tourist destinations in the area, also for the presence of the famous Casina Vanvitelliana that belonged to the Bourbons. The royal family, in fact, chose this enchanting place as a fishing and hunting reserve. But the history of Lake Fusaro begins even earlier, in ancient times.
Lake Fusaro is a true paradise for lovers of ornithology and birdwatching. Here you can find the presence of numerous classes of birds, mostly piscivorous, which find the lake the perfect environment to refresh themselves.
The cormorant is the dominant species , but it is not uncommon to also spot the grey heron, the little grebe, the great crested grebe, the kingfisher, the black-headed gull, the yellow-legged gull and the coot. Sightings are frequent in the winter months, especially of cormorants, which use the mussel breeding supports as perches. Much less frequent in spring/summer, when the weather conditions are unfavourable for reproduction.
Even from the point of view of vegetation, the Bourbon garden of Lake Fusaro is populated by a multitude of plants. For example, oaks, laws, reeds and salicorniae, palms, flowerbeds, oleanders, myrtles, pines, eucalyptus and ficus.
The environmental redevelopment of Lake Fusaro
After decades of abandonment, the entire Bourbon complex of Lago Fusaro has been the subject of a redevelopment project financed with funds from the POR 2000-2006, directed by the Superintendence of Naples and the province. The restoration works involved the Casina Vanvitelliana and the Palazzo dell’Ostrichina, but also the surrounding environmental area, which includes the garden, the pedestrian dock around the lake and the Stalloni.
The goal was to preserve the Bourbon architectural heritage and improve the accessibility of the park. The redevelopment focused on environmental sustainability, with interventions aimed at protecting the ecosystem of the lake, thus promoting a balance between historical conservation and natural protection , with a view to relaunching tourism and culture in the area.
Photos by Fabrizio Fiorenzano
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