The Certosa of Pavia

Along the road that connects Pavia to Milan, stands the Certosa di Pavia. It is a monumental complex immersed in the Lombard countryside and consists of two main structures: monastery and sanctuary. Construction began in 1396 at the behest of Gian Galeazzo Visconti and after a long construction, the Certosa was consecrated in 1497. In 1866 the property became part of the state property of the newborn Italian state and since 1968 it has housed a small Cistercian community. The construction is grandiloquent, in the Gothic-Renaissance style, and extends over a very large area (testifying to the ambition of the Visconti). The church has a Latin cross plan and is divided into three apse aisles. The transepts house some of the most important funeral monuments, such as the one for Gian Galeazzo Visconti and the one for Ludovico il Moro and Beatrice d'Este. The Charterhouse combines precious examples of 'minor arts', such as the ivory triptych of the Embriachi and a set of stained glass windows made by great masters such as Zanetto Bugatto, Bergognone, Hans Witz and Vincenzo Foppa. The complex consists of two cloisters, called large and small, both delimited by richly decorated columns. The largest is composed of a portico with 122 arches and today 24 cells (or houses) overlook it. Each of these consists of three rooms and a small garden. The minor cloister is connected to other rooms such as the church, the chapter house, the refectory and the library. The ancient Foresteria (later called Palazzo Ducale) is now the seat of the Certosa di Pavia Museum. The plaster cast gallery is housed here, together with the sacral vestments and numerous sculptural works. The richness of the complex, designed from the beginning to be sumptuous, will immerse the tourist in an ancient and refined world, where the artistic technique is brought to excellence.