Abstract
This work investigates the acoustic characteristics of the double elliptical vault, which overlooks the Grand Staircase of the Royal Palace of Caserta (Italy). The Royal Palace was built by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli in the Seventeenth Century and it is the largest royal building in Italy. The double elliptical vault presents a great scenography effect. Inside the vault, on the planking level, musicians used to play for the king and his guests when the royal procession, going up the grand staircase, entered the royal apartments, creating astonishment among the guests who heard the music without understanding from where it was coming. Since the musicians were inside the vault, the long reverberation made the listeners perceive the vault to be enveloped by the music. To investigate this effect, the acoustic characteristics of the double vault were measured, putting the sound source on the planking level of the vault, while the microphones were put along the staircase and in the vestibule towards the royal apartments. Finally, the spatial distribution of several acoustic parameters is evaluated also using architectural acoustic simulations.
Highlights
The Royal Palace of Caserta, considered one of the most significant works of Italian Baroque, was commissioned by Carlo III of Bourbon and was designed by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli
The decision of Vanvitelli to build a dome with a double elliptical vault was due to structural the royal apartments
The reverberation time remains almost uniform, as if the room was requirements scenography needs, with the cornice running along the vault welcoming music perfectlyand diffused
Summary
The Royal Palace of Caserta, considered one of the most significant works of Italian Baroque, was commissioned by Carlo III of Bourbon and was designed by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli. The Royal Palace of Caserta is among the 51 world heritage sites designated by the United Nations. Inside the Royal Palace, the Grand Staircase connects the lower vestibule to the upper vestibule, making possible entry to the Royal apartments. The double vault has two caps, with the lower assuming the role of a large oval cornice. In the 16th century, numerous projects showed the realization of double vaults and domes [3,4]. The double-cap model was widely diffused in Italy too, as proved by the dome of St. Maria of Flower in Florence, as well as the dome of St. Peter’s church in Rome
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