In the 17^th century, King Louis XIV unleashed a serious case of “Versailles envy” when fellow monarchs heard about the unprecedented luxury of the newly-built French Palace. Italy’s Royal Palace at Caserta was inspired by the model of Versailles. Historically, rulers built magnificent palaces not only for their personal indulgence but because it was a tangible measure of their wealth and power.

In addition, as is the case with Versailles and Caserta, they served as the administrative centers of their kingdoms and therefore housed several thousand courtiers who performed some vital role at court. Versailles symbolized the absolute power of Louis XIV.