An immense water basin for breeding and fun
The Peschiera Grande was built by Francesco Collecini, starting in 1762, based on a design by Luigi Vanvitelli. The circular islet placed at its center was supposed to house a pavilion that was never built. The basin of 270 x 105 meters was dug to a depth of 3.5 meters by slaves and convicts sentenced to forced labour, mainly sea pirates. Trout, carp, mullet and eel were bred for trade and for the table of kings in the Peschiera’s waters. Just like Castelluccia, Peschiera was also a place for leisure: here the young King Ferdinand IV enacted massive naval battles. Not far away, the Liparoti district hosted sailors from the island of Lipari, in charge of maintaining the numerous boats in the complex.
See the map
1
Via d'acqua
2
Castelluccia
3
Peschiera
4
The Fountain of Dolphins
5
The Fountain of Aeolus
6
The Fountain of Ceres
7
The Fountain of Diana and Actaeon
8
The Fountain of Venus and Adonis
9
The waterfall and Torrione
10
The Bosco Vecchio (Old Wood)
11
The Margherita Fountain
Beyond the Royal Palace
1. Via d'acqua2. Castelluccia3. Peschiera4. The Fountain of Dolphins5. The Fountain of Aeolus6. The Fountain of Ceres7. The Fountain of Diana and Actaeon8. The Fountain of Venus and Adonis9. The waterfall and Torrione10. The Bosco Vecchio (Old Wood)11. The Margherita Fountain
Beyond the Royal Palace