Commissioned by Tommaso II Sanseverino, Lord of Vallo di Diano, construction on the first Certosa (charterhouse) in Campania, the Certosa di San Lorenzo a Padula, began in 1306 and was only finished in the 18th century.
Covering a surface area of 51,500 m², with three cloisters, a garden, a courtyard and a church, it is one of the most sumptuous Baroque complexes in Southern Italy, the largest charterhouse in Italy and one of the biggest in Europe.
The atrium, dominated by a large Baroque facade, leads to stables, basements, workshops and a pharmacy. The notable Large Cloister, built between the 1600s and 1700s, measures 12,000m2 making it one of the largest in the world. It has two orders of colonnades which lead to the monks’ (certosini) quarters and 84 arches, an octagonal tower and a striking elliptical staircase.
In the 1500s, Charles V stayed here with his army and, according to legend, the monks prepared an omelette for him using 1,000 eggs.
Used as a concentration camp and a prison during WWI and WWII, the Certosa was chosen for its beauty as the location for Francesco Rosi’s film More Than A Miracle.
Film Commission Regione Campania
Piazza G. Bovio, 14 — 80133 Napoli
Phone: +39 0814206091
Fax: +39 0817904221
Email: info@fcrc.it
