Naples - Certosa di San Martino

The view of San Martino

One of my favorite places in Naples is the Certosa e Museo di San Martino (the Monastery and Museum of San Martino).  Overlooking the Bay of Naples and the city from the top of the Vomero hill, the Certosa is a beautiful and peaceful break from the chaos that is Naples, and the views are spectacular.

The view from San Martino

The structure of the church is Gothic, dating from the 16th century, but the decoration (completed about one hundred years later) is the best example of the Baroque in Naples. 

Equally impressive is the sacristy:

After all that decoration, the quiet and peaceful great cloister is a welcome break.

The former friars quarters now house the museum and its collection of paintings and prints illustrating the Certosa and the history of Naples.  The collection also includes porcelin, furniture, objects d'art, carriages and a large collection of presepi (nativity scenes).

Presepe Cuciniello

Housed in the former kitchens of the monastery, San Martino holds the largest collection of presepi in Naples.  The most famous is the Presepe Cuciniello, with about 800 elements.   It is set in a fake cave and has lighting that simulates sunrise, daylight, sunset and night.

San Martino is closed on Wednesdays, the day we will be in Naples as a group, but it is open on Thursday, our free day.  I'd encourage anyone who is planning to spend part of their free time in Naples to check out the Certosa di San Martino.

The easiest way to get up there is by cab but for the more adventurous, you can take the metro from the train station to the Montesanto stop, then the Montesanto funicular up the mountain.  From the funicular station it's a short walk (0.3 mile) to the museum.

The web site for the Certosa is only in Italian, unfortunately, but if you can read a little in la bella lingua, check it out here.