Certosa di San Lorenzo (Padula)
Padula (SA)
FamousSacred art
The story
One of the largest monastic complexes in Europe, with a great cloister that seems never to end and an elliptical staircase suspended in the void.
Access
€; in the borgo (old village) the house of Joe Petrosino and the Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte over the spring
The story
The Charterhouse of San Lorenzo at Padula, in the Vallo di Diano, is the first charterhouse to have arisen in Campania and the largest in Italy — among the greatest in Europe. Spread over more than fifty thousand square metres, it is one of the most sumptuous Baroque complexes in the South. Since 1998 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the sites of Paestum, Velia and the Cilento National Park.
What to see
Immensity is its hallmark: three cloisters (the great cloister is among the vastest in the world), a richly decorated church, the famous elliptical double-flight staircase, the monumental kitchen. Inside it also houses the Archaeological Museum of Western Lucania.
Tips
It really is large: reckon on a couple of hours so as not to rush. It is in the Vallo di Diano, handy along the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway. Consult hours and fares on the official site. To be combined with the village of Padula and the sites of the inland Cilento.
Frequently asked questions
How large is the Charterhouse of Padula?
Over fifty thousand square metres: it is the largest charterhouse in Italy and among the greatest in Europe, with three cloisters and a monumental church.
Is the Charterhouse of Padula a UNESCO site?
Yes, since 1998, together with the archaeological sites of Paestum and Velia and the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park.
What does the Charterhouse of Padula house?
Besides the Baroque monastic complex, the Archaeological Museum of Western Lucania.
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