Editing Charles III of Spain (section)

==Rule in Italy==
===Arrival in Italy===
[[File:Dorothea Sophia of Neuburg, duchess of Parma.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Countess Palatine Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg|Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg]], mother of Elisabeth Farnese and Charles's guardian and regent of Parma]]
After a solemn ceremony in Seville, Charles was given the ''épée d'or'' ("sword of gold") by his father; the sword had been given to Philip V of Spain by his grandfather [[Louis XIV]] before his departure to Spain in 1700. Charles left Spain on 20 October 1731 and traveled overland to [[Antibes]]; he then sailed to [[Tuscany]], arriving at [[Livorno]] on 27 December 1731. His cousin [[Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany]], was named his co-tutor and despite Charles being the second in line to inherit Tuscany, the Grand Duke still gave him a warm welcome. En route to [[Florence]] from [[Pisa]], Charles was taken ill with [[smallpox]].<ref name="p46-48">Gleijeses, ''Don Carlos'', Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988, pp. 46–48.</ref> Charles made a grand entrance to the Medici capital of [[Florence]] on 9 March 1732 with a retinue of 250 people. He stayed with his host at the ducal residence, the [[Palazzo Pitti]].<ref name="p46-48"/>

Gian Gastone staged a fête in honor of the Patron Saint of Florence, [[John the Baptist|St. John the Baptist]], on 24 June. At this fête Gian Gastone named Charles his heir, giving him the traditional Tuscan title of ''Hereditary Prince of Tuscany'', and Charles paid homage to the Florentine senate, as was the tradition for heirs to the Tuscan throne.
When [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Charles VI]] heard about the ceremony, he was enraged that Gian Gastone had not informed him, since he was overlord of Tuscany and the nomination should have been his prerogative. Despite the celebrations, Elisabeth Farnese urged her son to go on to Parma, which he did in October 1732, where he was warmly greeted. On the front of the ducal palace in Parma was written ''Parma Resurget'' (Parma shall rise again). At the same time the play ''La Venuta di Ascanio in Italia'' was created by [[Carlo Innocenzo Frugoni]]. It was later performed at the [[Teatro Farnese]] in the city.<ref>{{in lang|it}} Harold Acton, ''I Borboni di Napoli (1734–1825)'', Florence, Giunti, 1997, p. 18.</ref><ref name="V48"/>

===Conquest of Naples and Sicily===
{{further|War of the Polish Succession}}
In 1733, the death of [[Augustus II the Strong|Augustus II]], King of [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland]], sparked a succession crisis in Poland. France supported one pretender, and Austria and [[Russia]] another. France and Savoy formed an alliance to acquire territory from Austria. Spain, which had allied with France in late 1733 (the [[Bourbon Compact]]), also entered the conflict. Charles's mother, as regent, saw the opportunity to regain the Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, which Spain had lost in the [[Treaty of Utrecht]].

[[File:El Futuro Carlos III de España a caballo en Nápoles.jpg|250px|thumb|Charles of Bourbon near Naples (1734)]]

On 20 January 1734, Charles, now 18, reached his majority, and was "free to govern and to manage in a manner independent its states".<ref name="Acton">Acton, Harold. ''I Borboni di Napoli (1734–1825)'' Florence, Giunti, 1997 p. 20</ref> He was also named commander of all Spanish troops in Italy, a position he shared with the [[José Carrillo de Albornoz, 1st Duke of Montemar|Duke of Montemar]]. On 27 February, King Philip declared his intention to capture the Kingdom of Naples, claiming he would free it of "excessive violence by the Austrian Viceroy of Naples, oppression, and tyranny".<ref>Gleijeses, Vittorio. ''Don Carlos'' Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988. p. 49</ref> Charles, now "Charles I of Parma", was to be in charge. Charles inspected the Spanish troops at [[Perugia]], and marched toward Naples on 5 March. The army passed through the [[Papal States]] then ruled by [[Pope Clement XII|Clement XII]].<ref name="Acton"/>

The Austrians, already fighting the French and Savoyard armies to retain [[Milan]], had only limited resources for the defense of Naples and were divided on how best to oppose the Spanish. The Emperor wanted to keep Naples, but most of the Neapolitan nobility was against him, and some conspired against his viceroy. They hoped that Philip would give the kingdom to Charles, who would be more likely to live and rule there, rather than having a viceroy and serve a foreign power. On 9 March the Spanish took [[Procida]] and [[Ischia]], two islands in the [[Bay of Naples]]. A week later they defeated the Austrians at sea. On 31 March, his army closed in on the Austrians in Naples. The Spanish flanked the defensive position of the Austrians under General [[Otto Ferdinand von Abensberg und Traun|von Traun]] and forced them to withdraw to [[Capua]]. This allowed Charles and his troops to advance on to the city of Naples itself.

The Austrian viceroy, Giulio Borromeo Visconti, and the commander of his army, Giovanni Carafa, left some garrisons holding the city's fortresses and withdrew to [[Apulia]]. There they awaited reinforcements sufficient to defeat the Spanish. The Spanish entered Naples and laid siege to the Austrian-held fortresses. During that interval, Charles received the compliments of the local nobility, and the city keys and the ''privilege book'' from a delegation of the city's elected officials.<ref>Vittorio Gleijeses, Don Carlos, Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988. p. 50-53</ref> Chronicles of the time reported that Naples was captured "with humanity" and that the combat was only due to a general climate of courtesy between the two armies, often under the eyes of the Neapolitans that approached with curiosity

The Spanish took the [[Carmine Castle]] on 10 April; [[Castel Sant'Elmo, Naples|Castel Sant'Elmo]] fell on 27 April; the [[Castel dell'Ovo]] on 4 May, and finally the [[Castel Nuovo]] on 6 May. This all occurred even though Charles had no military experience, seldom wore uniforms, and could only with difficulty be persuaded to witness a review.

===Arrival in Naples and Sicily, recognition as king 1734-35===
Charles had his triumphant entrance to Naples on 10 May 1734, through the old city gate at Capuana surrounded by the city councilors along with a group of people who threw money to the locals. The procession went on through the streets and ended up at the [[Naples Cathedral]], where Charles received a blessing from the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples|local archbishop]], Cardinal Pignatelli. Charles took up residence at the [[Royal Palace of Naples]], which had been built by his ancestor, [[Philip III of Spain]].

Two chroniclers of the era, the Florentine Bartolomeo Intrieri, and the Venetian Cesare Vignola made conflicting reports on the view of the situation by Neapolitans. Intrieri writes that the arrival was a historic event and that the crowd cried out that "His Royal Highness is beautiful, that his face is as the one of [[Januarius|San Gennaro]] on the statue that the representative".<ref>Harold Acton, I Borboni di Napoli (1734–1825), Florence, Giunti, 1997, p. 25</ref> Vignola wrote in contrast that "there were only some acclamations", and that the crowd applauded with "a lot of languors" and only "to incite those that threw the money to throw it in more abundance".<ref>Vittorio Gleijeses, Don Carlos, Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988. p. 59</ref>

Charles's father, King Philip V of Spain, wrote the following letter to Charles.
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The letter began with the words "To the King of Naples, My Son, and My Brother".<ref name=p60>Vittorio Gleijeses, Don Carlos, Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988. p. 60</ref> Charles was unique in the fact that he was the first ruler of Naples to actually live there, after two centuries of viceroys. However, Austrian resistance had not yet been completely eliminated. The emperor had sent reinforcements to Naples directed by the [[Prince of Belmonte]], which arrived at [[Bitonto]].

Spanish troops led by the Count of Montemar attacked the Austrians on 25 May 1734 at Bitonto, and [[Battle of Bitonto|achieved a decisive victory]]. Belmonte was [[prisoner of war|captured]] after he fled to [[Bari]], while other Austrian troops were able to escape to the sea. To celebrate the victory, Naples was illuminated for three nights, and on 30 May, the Duke of Montemar, Charles's army commander, was named the Duke of Bitonto.<ref>Vittorio Gleijeses, Don Carlos, Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988. p. 61-62</ref> Today there is an obelisk in the city of Bitonto commemorating the battle constructed and designed by [[Giovanni Antonio Medrano]].

After the fall of [[Reggio Calabria]] on 20 June, Charles also conquered the towns of [[L'Aquila]] (27 June) and [[Pescara]] (28 July). The last two Austrian fortresses were [[Gaeta]] and [[Capua]]. The [[Siege of Gaeta (1734)|Siege of Gaeta]], which Charles observed, ended on 6 August. Three weeks later, the Duke of Montemar left the mainland for Sicily where they arrived in [[Palermo]] on 2 September 1734, beginning a conquest of the island's Austrian-held fortresses that ended in early 1735. Capua, the only remaining Austrian stronghold in Naples, was held by [[Siege of Capua (1734)|von Traun]] until 24 November 1734. In the kingdom, independence from the Austrians was popular.

In 1735, pursuant to the treaty ending the war, Charles formally ceded Parma to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI in exchange for his recognition as King of Naples and Sicily. Following the loss of Parma, Charles removed the [[Farnese Collection]] to Naples.

===Conflict with the Holy See===
[[File: Tanucci Bernardo 01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bernardo Tanucci, who aided Charles in his conflict with the Holy See]]
During the early years of Charles's reign, the Neapolitan court was engaged in a dispute with the Holy See over jurisdiction, clerical appointments, and revenues. The Kingdom of Naples was an ancient fief of the Papal States. For this reason, [[Pope Clement XII]] considered himself the only one entitled to invest the king of Naples, and so he did not recognize Charles of Bourbon as a legitimate sovereign. Through the [[apostolic nuncio]], the Pope let Charles know he did not consider valid the nomination received by him from Charles's father, Philip V, King of Spain. In response, a committee headed by the Tuscan lawyer [[Bernardo Tanucci]] in Naples concluded that papal investiture was not necessary because the crowning of a king could not be considered a sacrament.<ref>Vittorio Gleijeses, Don Carlos, Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988, p. 63-64.</ref>

The situation worsened when, in 1735, just a few days before the coronation of Charles, the Pope chose to accept the traditional offering of a [[Hackney (horse)|Hackney]] horse from the Holy Roman Emperor rather than from Charles. The Hackney was a white mare and a sum of money which the King of Naples offered the Pope as feudal homage every 29 June, at the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. The reason for this choice was that Charles had not yet been recognized as ruler of the Kingdom of Naples by a peace treaty, and so the Emperor was considered still de jure King of Naples. Receiving the Hackney from the Holy Roman Empire was common while receiving it from a Bourbon was unusual. The Pope, therefore, considered the first option a less dramatic gesture, and in doing so provoked the wrath of the religious Spanish infante.

Meanwhile, Charles had landed in Sicily. Although the Bourbon conquest of the island was not complete, he was crowned King of the Two Sicilies ("utriusque Siciliae rex") on 3 July in the ancient [[Palermo Cathedral]], after having traveled overland to [[Palmi, Calabria|Palmi]], and by sea from Palmi to [[Palermo]]. The coronation bypassed the authority of the Pope thanks to the apostolic legation of Sicily, a medieval privilege which ensured the island a special legal autonomy from the Church. Thus, the papal legate did not attend the ceremony as Charles would have wanted.<ref name="p65-66">Vittorio Gleijeses, Don Carlos, Naples, Edizioni Agea, 1988, pp. 65–66</ref>

In March 1735 a new discord developed between Rome and Naples. In Rome, it was discovered that the Bourbons had confined Roman citizens in the basement of [[Palazzo Farnese, Rome|Palazzo Farnese]], which was the personal property of King Charles; people were brought there to [[impressment|impress]] them into the newborn Neapolitan army. Thousands of inhabitants in the suburb of [[Trastevere]] stormed the palace to liberate them. The riot then degenerated into pillage. Next, the crowd directed itself toward the embassy of Spain in [[Piazza di Spagna]]. During the clashes that followed, several Bourbon soldiers were killed, including an officer. The disturbances spread to the town of [[Velletri]], where the population attacked Spanish troops on the road to Naples.

The episode was perceived as a serious affront to the Bourbon court. Consequently, the Spanish and Neapolitan ambassadors left Rome, the seat of the papacy, while apostolic nuncios were dismissed from Madrid and Naples. The regiments of Bourbon troops invaded the Papal States. The threat was such that some of the gates of Rome were barred and the civil guard was doubled. Velletri was occupied and forced to pay 8000 crowns for the occupation. [[Ostia (Rome)|Ostia]] was sacked, while [[Palestrina]] avoided the same fate by the payment of a ransom of 16,000 crowns.

The commission of cardinals to whom the case was assigned decided to send a delegation of prisoners of Trastevere and Velletri to Naples as reparations. The papal subjects were punished with just a few days in jail and then, after seeking royal pardon, were granted it.<ref name="p65-66"/> The Neapolitan king subsequently managed to iron out his differences with the Pope, after long negotiations, through the mediation of its ambassador in Rome, [[Troiano Acquaviva d'Aragona|Cardinal Acquaviva]], the archbishop [[Giuseppe Spinelli]] and the chaplain Celestino Galiani. The agreement was achieved on 12 May 1738.

After the death of Pope Clement in 1740, he was replaced by [[Pope Benedict XIV]], who the following year allowed the creation of a concordat with the Kingdom of Naples. This allowed the taxation of certain property of the clergy, the reduction of the number of the ecclesiastical, and the limitation of their immunity and autonomy of justice via the creation of a mixed tribunal.<ref>Giovanni Drei, Giuseppina Allegri Tassoni (a cura di) I Farnese. Grandezza e decadenza di una dinastia Italiana, Rome, La Libreria Dello Stato, 1954.</ref>{{Clarify|date=February 2010|reason=tribunal is "mixed" how?}}

===Choice of name===
Charles was the seventh king of that name to rule Naples, but he never styled himself Charles VII. He was known simply as Charles of Bourbon (Italian: ''Carlo di Borbone''). This was intended to emphasize that he was the first King of Naples to live there, and to mark the discontinuity between him and previous rulers named Charles, specifically his predecessor, the Habsburg [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles VI]].{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

In Sicily, he was known as ''Charles III of Sicily and of Jerusalem'', using the ordinal ''III'' rather than ''V''. The Sicilian people had not recognized [[Charles I of Naples]] (''Charles d'Anjou'') as their sovereign (they rebelled against him), nor Emperor Charles, whom they also disliked.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

{| style="margin:auto; width:90%;" cellspacing="10px"
|- style="text-align:justify; vertical-align:top;"
| style="width:50%; "|''Carolus Dei Gratia Rex utriusque Siciliae'',<ref>''Rex Neapolis'' before his coronation on 3 July 1735 at Palermo.</ref> ''& Hyerusalem, &c. Infans Hispaniarum, Dux Parmae, Placentiae, Castri, &c. Ac Magnus Princeps Haereditarius Hetruriae, &c''.<ref>[http://www.mcu.es/ccbae/en/consulta/busqueda_referencia.cmd?campo=idautor&idValor=43710 Liste des décrets sur le site du ministère de la Culture espagnole].</ref>
| style="width:50%; " cellspacing="30px"|Charles, by the Grace of God King of Naples, Sicily and of Jerusalem, etc. Infante of Spain, Duke of Parma, Piacenza and of Castro etc. Great Hereditary Prince of Tuscany.
|}
{{chart top|Family of Philip V including Charles in 1743}}
{{wide image|La familia de Felipe V (Van Loo).jpg|610px|''"[[The Family of Philip V (1743)|The Family of Philip V of Spain 1743]]"''; (L-R) [[Mariana Victoria of Spain|Mariana Victoria, ''Princess of Brazil'']]; [[Barbara of Portugal|Barbara, ''Princess of Asturias'']]; [[Ferdinand VI of Spain|Ferdinand, ''Prince of Asturias'']]; King Philip V; [[Luis de Borbón y Farnesio, 13th Count of Chinchón|Luis, ''Count of Chinchón'']]; [[Elisabeth Farnese]]; [[Philip, Duke of Parma|Infante Philip]]; [[Louise Élisabeth of France|Princess Louise Élisabeth of France]]; [[Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain|Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela]]; [[Maria Antonietta of Spain|Infanta Maria Antonia]]; [[Maria Amalia of Saxony|Maria Amalia, ''Queen of Naples and Sicily'']]; Charles, ''King of Naples and Sicily''. The two children in the foreground are Princess Maria Isabella Anne of Naples and Sicily and [[Princess Isabella Maria of Parma|Infanta Isabella Maria of Spain]] (daughter of the future Duke of Parma).}}
{{chart bottom}}

===Peace with Austria===
[[File: Johann Gottfried Auerbach 004.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor]], with whom Charles was in constant conflict]]
A preliminary peace with Austria was concluded on 3 October 1735. However, the peace was not finalized until three years later with the [[Treaty of Vienna (1738)]], ending the [[War of the Polish Succession]].

Naples and Sicily were ceded by Austria to Charles, who gave up Parma and [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany|Tuscany]] in return. (Charles had inherited Tuscany in 1737 on the death of Gian Gastone.) Tuscany went to Emperor Charles VI's son-in-law [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor|Francis Stephen]], as compensation for ceding the [[Duchy of Lorraine]] to the deposed Polish King [[Stanislaus I]].

[[File: Maria Amalia of Saxony.jpg|thumb|upright|Charles's wife [[Maria Amalia of Saxony|Princess Maria Amalia of Saxony]], whom he married in 1738, dressed in [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Polish attire]], painted by [[Louis Silvestre]]]]

The treaty included the transfer to Naples of all the inherited goods of the [[House of Farnese]]. He took with him the [[Farnese collection|collection]] of artwork, the archives and the ducal library, the cannons of the fort, and even the marble stairway of the ducal palace.<ref>Acton, Harold. ''I Borboni di Napoli (1734–1825)'', Florence, Giunti, 1997</ref>

===War of the Austrian Succession===
{{Main|War of the Austrian Succession}}
The peace between Charles and Austria was signed in [[Vienna]] in 1740. That year, Emperor Charles died leaving his Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]] and [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]] (along with many other lands) to his daughter [[Maria Theresa]]; he had hoped the many signatories to the [[Pragmatic Sanction of 1713|Pragmatic Sanction]] would not interfere with this succession. However, this was not the case, and the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] broke out. France was allied with Spain and [[Prussia]], all of whom were against Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa was supported by [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]], ruled by [[George II of Great Britain|George II]], and the [[Kingdom of Sardinia]], which was then ruled by [[Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia]].

Charles had wanted to stay neutral during the conflict, but his father wanted him to join in and gather troops to aid the French. Charles arranged for 10,000 Spanish soldiers that were to be sent to Italy under the command of the [[Francesco Eboli, Duke of Castropignano|Duke of Castropignano]], but they were obliged to retreat when a [[Royal Navy]] squadron under [[Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore]] [[William Martin (Royal Navy officer)|William Martin]] threatened to bombard [[Naples]] if they did not stay out of the conflict.<ref>Luigi del Pozzo, [https://books.google.com/books?id=gpo3AAAAcAAJ Cronaca Civile e Militare delle Due Sicilie sotto la dinastia borbonica dall'anno 1734 in poi, Naples, Stamperia Reale, 1857].</ref>

The decision to remain neutral was again revived and was poorly received by the French and his father in Spain. Charles's parents encouraged him to take arms as his brother Infante [[Philip, Duke of Parma|Felipe]] had done. After publishing a proclamation on 25 March 1744 reassuring its subjects, Charles took the command of an army against the Austrian armies of the prince of [[Lobkowicz family|Lobkowitz]], who were at that point marching for the Neapolitan border.

In order to oppose the small but powerful pro-Austrian party in Naples, a new council was formed under the direction of Tanucci that resulted in the arrest of more than 800 people. In April Maria Theresa addressed the Neapolitans with a proclamation in which she promised pardons and other benefits for those who rose against the "usurpers", meaning the Bourbons.<ref>Giuseppe Coniglio, I Borboni di Napoli, Milan, Corbaccio, 1999.</ref>

The participation of Naples and Sicily in the conflict resulted, on 11 August in the decisive [[Battle of Velletri (1744)|Battle of Velletri]], where Neapolitan troops directed by Charles and the [[Francesco Eboli, Duke of Castropignano|Duke of Castropignano]], and Spanish troops under the [[Jean Thierry du Mont, comte de Gages|Count of Gages]], defeated the Austrians of 
[[Johann Georg Christian, Prince of Lobkowicz|Lobkowitz]], who retreated with heavy losses. The courage shown by Charles caused the King of Sardinia, his enemy, to write that "he revealed a worthy consistency of his blood and that he behaved gloriously".<ref>Gaetano Falzone, Il Regno di Carlo di Borbone in Sicilia. 1734–1759, Bologne, Pàtron Editore, 1964.</ref>

The victory at Velletri assured Charles the right to give the title ''[[Duchy of Parma|Duke of Parma]]'' to his younger brother Infante [[Philip, Duke of Parma|Felipe]]. This was recognized in the [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)|Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle]] signed in 1748; it was not until the next year that Infante Felipe would officially be the Duke of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla.

===Impact of rule in Naples and Sicily===
[[File:Camillo-Paderni-Charles-III-of-Spain-King-Charles-VII-of-Naples.jpg|left|thumb|King Charles VII of Naples by [[Camillo Paderni]], c. 1757]]
Charles left a lasting legacy on his kingdom, introducing reforms during his reign. In Naples, Charles began internal reforms that he later continued in peninsular Spain and the ultramarine [[Spanish Empire]]. His chief minister in Naples, [[Bernardo Tanucci]], had a considerable influence over him. Tanucci had found a solution to Charles's acceding to the throne, but then implemented a major regalist policy toward the Church, substantially limiting the privileges of the clergy, whose vast possessions enjoyed tax exemption and their own jurisdiction. His realm was financially a backward, underdeveloped stagnant agrarian economy, with 80% of the land being owned or controlled by the church and therefore tax-exempt. Landlords often registered their properties with the church to benefit from tax exemptions. Their rural tenants were under their landlords' control rather than royal jurisdiction. Taxes were collected by [[tax farming]] through low paid employees who supplemented their income by the exploitation of their position. "Smuggling and corruption were institutionalized at all levels."<ref>Stein and Stein, ''Apogee of Empire'', pp. 4-5.</ref>

Charles encouraged the development of skilled craftsmen in Naples and Sicily, after centuries of foreign domination. Charles is recognized for having recreated the "Neapolitan nation", building an independent and sovereign kingdom.<ref>The Academy of Real Navy 10 December 1735, was the first institution to be established by Charles III for cadets, followed 18 November 1787 by the Royal Military Academy (later Military School of Naples):{{cite journal|last1=Buonomo|first1=Giampiero|title = Goliardia a Pizzofalcone tra il 1841 ed il 1844|journal= L'Ago e Il Filo Edizione Online|date=2013| url=https://www.academia.edu/3394824|language=it}}</ref> He also instituted reforms that were more administrative, more social and more religious than the kingdom had seen for a long time. In 1746 the [[Inquisition]] was introduced in domains bought by the [[Giuseppe Spinelli|Cardinal Spinelli]], though this was not popular and required intervention by Charles.

Charles was the most popular king the Neapolitans had had for many years. He was very supportive of the people's needs, regardless of class, and has been hailed<ref>{{in lang|it}} [https://www.academia.edu/11315001/Illuminismo_nel_Regno_delle_due_Sicilie ''{{lang|it|Quei Lumi accesi nel Mezzogiorno}}''].</ref> as an [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] king. Among the initiatives aimed at bringing the kingdom out of difficult economic conditions, Charles created the "commerce council" that negotiated with the Ottomans, Swedes, French, and Dutch. He also founded an insurance company and took measures to protect the forests, and tried to start the extraction and exploitation of the natural resources.
[[File:CasertaNorthernAspect.jpg|thumb|[[Palace of Caserta]]]]
[[File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli.jpg|thumb|[[Royal Palace of Naples]]]]
On 3 February 1740, King Charles issued a proclamation containing 37 paragraphs, in which [[Jew]]s were formally invited to return to Sicily, from where they had been [[History of the Jews in Sicily#Middle Ages|brutally expelled in 1492]]. This move had a little practical effect: though a few Jews did come to Sicily, though there was no legal impediment to their living there, they felt their lives insecure, and they soon went back to Turkey. Despite the King's goodwill, the Jewish community of Sicily which had flourished in the Middle East was not re-established. Still, this was a significant symbolic gesture, the King clearly repudiating a past policy of religious intolerance. Moreover, the expulsion of the Jews from Sicily had been an application of the Spanish [[Alhambra Decree]] - which would be repudiated in Spain itself only much later.

The Kingdom of Naples remained neutral during the [[Seven Years' War]] (1756–1763). The British Prime Minister, [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt]] wanted to create an Italian league where Naples and Sardinia would fight together against Austria, but Charles refused to participate. This choice was sharply criticized by the Neapolitan Ambassador in Turin, [[Domenico Caraccioli]], who wrote:

<blockquote>
"The position of Italian matters is not more beautiful; but it is worsened by the fact that the King of Naples and the King of Sardinia, adding troops to larger forces of the others, could oppose itself to the plans of their neighbors; to defend itself against the dangers of the peace of the enemies themselves they were in a way united, but they are separated by their different systems of government."<ref>Francesco Renda, Storia della Sicilia Dalle origini ai giorni nostri vol. II, Palerme, Sellerio editore, 2003.</ref>
</blockquote>

With the [[Republic of Genoa]] relations were stretched: [[Pasquale Paoli]], general of [[Corsica]]n pro-independence rebels, was an officer of the Neapolitan army and the Genoese suspected that he received the assistance of the Kingdom of Naples.

He constructed a collection of [[palace]]s in and around Naples. Charles was in awe of the [[Palace of Versailles]] and the [[Royal Palace of Madrid]] in Spain (the latter being modeled on Versailles itself). He undertook and oversaw the construction of one of Europe's most lavish palaces, the [[Royal Palace of Caserta]] (''Reggia di Caserta''). Construction ideas for the stunning palace started in 1751 when he was 35 years old. The site had previously been home to a small hunting lodge, as had Versailles, which he was fond of because it reminded him of the [[Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso]] in Spain. Caserta was also much influenced by his wife, the very cultured [[Maria Amalia of Saxony]]. The site of the palace was also far away from the large volcano of [[Mount Vesuvius]], which was a constant threat to the capital, as was the sea. Charles himself laid the foundation stone of the palace amid many festivities on his 36th birthday, 20 January 1752. Other buildings he had built in his kingdom were the [[Palace of Portici]] (''Reggia di [[Portici]]''), he had [[Giovanni Antonio Medrano]] design the [[Teatro di San Carlo]]—constructed in just 270 days—and the [[Museo di Capodimonte|Palace of Capodimonte]] (''Reggia di Capodimonte''); he also had the [[Royal Palace of Naples]] renovated. He and his wife had the [[Capodimonte porcelain|Capodimonte porcelain Factory]] constructed in the city. He also founded the [[Accademia Ercolanese]] and the [[National Archaeological Museum, Naples]], which still operates today.

During his rule the Roman cities of [[Herculaneum]] (1738), [[Stabiae]] and [[Pompeii]] (1748) were re-discovered. The king encouraged their excavation and continued to be informed about findings even after moving to Spain. [[Camillo Paderni]] who was in charge of excavated items at the king's palace in Portici was also the first to attempt in reading obtained scrolls from the [[Villa of the Papyri]] in Herculaneum.<ref name=Marchant2018>{{cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/buried-ash-vesuvius-scrolls-are-being-read-new-xray-technique-180969358/|title=Buried by the Ash of Vesuvius, These Scrolls Are Being Read for the First Time in Millennia|work=Smithsonian Magazine|author=Jo Marchant|year=2018|access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref>

After Charles departed for Spain, Minister Tanucci presided over the Council of Regency that ruled until Charles' third son [[Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies|Ferdinand]] reached 16, the age of majority.