La Certosa di Pavia

We were lucky enough to get another visitor about a week ago. Mark's sister came to town and though I couldn't take any time off work (having just come back from vacation) the two of them managed to squeeze Cinque Terre and Venice into her four day mini-break.

The day prior to her departure, everyone was out of energy for long trips and Lake Como didn't seem inspired (how obnoxious does that sound? Sorry) so we decided to head south, 40 minutes away, to the town of Pavia and their famous Certosa.


La Certosa di Pavia literally translates to the "Charterhouse of Pavia" but in plain English - it's the grounds and buildings of a monastery. Built in the 1400s, the church was inspired by the Duomo of Milan and has many of the same Gothic characteristics. Beautiful frescoes line the walls and ceiling throughout the church.

The Certosa (pronounced Chur-tow-sa) has a beautiful collection of artwork, acquired through years of profits in the 16th and 17th centuries by the land held in the property's name. Another impressive decorative touch are the intricately carved wooden choir chairs that line a path to the alter. The refectory was originally used as a church (while the church was under construction) but the fresco of The Last Supper by Ottavio Semino is still in good condition, despite it's 1567 birthdate.

The small cloister is home to a garden and is easily accessible from the church. The arcades surround the garden and along some walls, the original fresco are still visible. One particularly well-kept fresco represents the story of Jesus with the woman of Samaria.

The grand cloister is big. Like, about 1000 square feet of perfectly manicured grass big. The cells of the monks are sparse but open to the green of the cloister. the columns of the arcades are made with terracotta and marble but unlike the arcades of the small cloister, no paintings remain. Despite the large tour group that preceded us, the wide space was eerily quiet and it's easy to imagine the order of monks spending time here at prayer.