Rich monks of Naples
The Certosa of San Martino is a monastery in the highest spot of Naples hiding: Sculptures, Frescoes, Paintings and treasures. Let’s dive in together!
First things first, what is a Certosa? It’s the Italian name for “charterhouse”, a monastery of Carthusian monks. The English word is derived by phono-semantic matching from the French word chartreuse and it is therefore sometimes misunderstood to indicate that the houses were created by charter, a grant of legal rights by a high authority.
This Certosa was built in the highest and most panoramic location of Naples, it’s now a residential district but back then was a remote location and yes, you needed a ton of money to get artists up there.
History and Planning
The original plan was executed in 1321 by the Senese Architect and Sculptor Tino da Camaino (see other article here about his work in San Lorenzo Maggiore).
Thereafter, in the following 5 centuries, the location has been subject to constant renewal and expansion under Giovanni Antonio Dosio (1581) and Giovan Giacomo di Conforto.
