Certosa di Padula

The Certosa di Padula, commonly called the Padula Charterhouse (Certosa di San Lorenzo), is a large Carthusian monastery complex in southern Italy notable for its extensive cloisters and monastic buildings. Its origins date to the early 14th century and it is regarded as one of Italy’s important monastic ensembles.

The site presents extensive cloistered courtyards, a monastery church and large communal rooms which demonstrate monastic architecture and decoration across several periods. The scale of the complex and the succession of architectural phases are among the main reasons visitors come.

Founded in the early 1300s, the charterhouse was expanded and remodelled over subsequent centuries with additions in later medieval and early modern periods. It served as a Carthusian monastery for centuries and underwent changes in use and conservation in the modern era.

The charterhouse lies in the area of Padula in southern Italy, set within a rural landscape of agricultural land and small towns; it is associated with the historical region around the Tyrrhenian side of southern Italy.

• Scale: The complex is one of the largest surviving Carthusian monasteries in Italy and is noted for its extensive monastic buildings and cloisters.
• What to see: Visitors can see the monastery church and large communal spaces that reflect successive construction phases from medieval to later centuries.