The Silk Factory of San Leucio (CE) is a complex of centuries-old buildings, set amidst vegetation and tree lined avenues on the hills to the north of Caserta, which include the silk factory, workers’ housing, a school, shared spaces (inside and outside) and the Royal apartments.
It was the heart of an extraordinary community experiment, inspired by the principles of social and political equality, sponsored by King Ferdinand IV of Naples who intended to transform the Complesso Monumentale del Belvedere of San Leucio (so-named for the breath-taking view over the countryside, Mount Vesuvius and Capri) from a hunting lodge into a silk factory. When the area was annexed into the Kingdom of Italy, the silk factory was privatized and the workers began to work independently creating a silk producing district. For over two centuries, San Leucio produced valuable silk cloth for an international clientele and in 1997 the 18th century complex was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient machinery, looms and items of production are displayed in the Silk Museum which is housed in the Palazzo del Belvedere.
Film Commission Regione Campania
Piazza G. Bovio, 14 — 80133 Napoli
Phone: +39 0814206091
Fax: +39 0817904221
Email: info@fcrc.it
