Certosa and Museum of San Martino
The Certosa di San Martino is a former Carthusian monastery complex perched on the Vomero hill above Naples, now home to one of the city’s most important civic museums. Founded in 1368 under Queen Joan I of Naples and dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, it was substantially rebuilt in the seventeenth century under architect Cosimo Fanzago into the lavish Neapolitan Baroque ensemble visible today. Together with the adjacent Castel Sant’Elmo, it forms the most prominent silhouette on the Naples skyline and commands panoramic views over the Gulf of Naples, Vesuvius, and the Sorrentine Peninsula.
At a glance
- Type
- Former monastery; civic museum
- Period
- Founded 1368; expanded 16th century; extensively rebuilt from 1623
- Style
- Gothic origins; Neapolitan Baroque (17th century)
- Location
- Largo San Martino 5, 80129 Napoli, Campania, Italy
- Coordinates
- 40.8433° N, 14.2412° E
- Architect
- Cosimo Fanzago (17th-century transformation)
- Current use
- Museo Nazionale di San Martino (national museum)
Overview
The Certosa di San Martino stands as one of the most spectacular Baroque architectural achievements in southern Italy, its church, cloisters, and monastic quarters encrusted with polychrome marble inlays, frescoes, and sculptural decoration. Along with Castel Sant’Elmo beside it, this former Carthusian complex is the most visible landmark of Naples from the sea, occupying a commanding position on the Vomero plateau at roughly 270 metres above sea level. Since the suppression of the monastery in the Napoleonic era, the complex has functioned as a public museum preserving Neapolitan art, history, and craftsmanship from the medieval period to the nineteenth century.
History
Construction of the Certosa began in 1325 under the patronage of Charles, Duke of Calabria, son of King Robert of Naples, and was completed and consecrated under Queen Joan I in 1368. The monastery was entrusted to the Carthusian order, which maintained strict enclosure and gradually enriched the complex with chapels and artworks over two centuries. In the first half of the sixteenth century significant enlargements were undertaken, and then from 1623 the prior Severo Turboli commissioned Cosimo Fanzago to undertake a comprehensive Baroque transformation that lasted decades and defined the complex’s present appearance. The monastery was suppressed by the French in 1799 and converted into a museum that opened formally in 1866.
What you see
The church interior is a masterwork of Neapolitan Baroque decoration: every surface—floors, walls, chapels—is faced in polychrome marble, with paintings by Jusepe de Ribera, Giovanni Lanfranco, and Massimo Stanzione adorning the walls and vaults. The great cloister (Chiostro Grande), designed by Fanzago, is ringed by 64 columns and punctuated by skull-capped balustrade finials—an iconic image of the complex. The museum’s collections span Neapolitan paintings from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century, decorative arts, historical prints and maps of Naples, an important presepe (Nativity scene) collection, and memorabilia of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Cultural significance
San Martino represents the apex of Neapolitan Baroque patronage and craftsmanship, bringing together the foremost painters, sculptors, and marble-workers active in the city during the seventeenth century. Its museum collections are indispensable for understanding Neapolitan civil and artistic history, and the panoramic terrace offers one of the finest urban viewpoints in Italy.
Practical information
- Address
- Largo San Martino 5, 80129 Naples
- Hours
- Thursday–Tuesday 08:30–19:30; closed Wednesday. Check the official website for seasonal variations.
- Admission
- Check official website for current prices
- Access
- Partially accessible; uneven historic floors in some areas
Getting there
The Certosa is most conveniently reached by the Funicolare Centrale or Funicolare di Montesanto from central Naples (Piazza Fuga stop), followed by a short walk. By bus, lines V1 and 128 serve the Vomero hill. From Naples Centrale railway station, the funicular is approximately 20 minutes by metro (Line 1, Vanvitelli stop) plus a short walk.