The Museum above Naples
A treasure chest of Neapolitan Baroque excellence and a privileged gateway to the history of Naples, the Charterhouse of San Martino is an unmissable tourist destination, an impressive and fascinating place where history, art and landscape come together to create the most extraordinary view of the city. Standing on the highest part of the hill and protected behind by the military fort of Sant'Elmo, this monument is unique among the many Carthusian complexes that still exist, and represents, in the imagery of the city, a point that is always visible, both from land and sea.
History of the monastic complex
Since the Middle Ages, some of the greatest architects, sculptors and painters have worked in the monastery complex. From the original medieval structures, begun by Tino di Camaino, traces are preserved in the church and in the Gothic basement. After a few modifications in the 15th and 16th centuries, at the end of the 16th century a long period of continuous enhancements and updating of the entire monumental complex began, which continued throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The work of the architect Dosio, the genius Fanzago - the absolute key player in the baroque evolution of the church and its surroundings between 1623 and 1656 - and Niccolò Tagliacozzi Canale are still visible today. Within the complex you can also admire pieces by sculptors such as Pietro Bernini, Domenico Antonio Vaccaro and Giuseppe Sammartino, and painters such as Corenzio and Cavalier d'Arpino, Caracciolo and Stanzione, Lanfranco and Ribera, Micco Spadaro and Andrea Vaccaro, Luca Giordano and Solimena, De Matteis and De Mura.
Heritage
After the unification of Italy, the ancient Charterhouse was taken away from the monks and then opened to the public in 1867, with the status of National Museum. The purpose was twofold: to save the complex from decay and to use the large, now empty spaces to preserve and exhibit the most significant artistic and cultural artefacts of the former Kingdom of Naples. Visitors to the Charterhouse of San Martino can still experience two different aspects: on the one hand, the ancient rooms of the monastery life, from the Church to the Cloisters, and on the other hand, the historical and topical sections that tell the story of Naples.
Examples include the Images and Memories of the City, the Nativity Section, the Naval Section and the Theatre Section. The latest display has been able to highlight even more, in part thanks to an important architectural restoration, the continuous relationship that exists between the Charterhouse structures, the exhibitions and the fabric of the city, which can be admired from the extraordinary lodges, belvederes and gardens of the complex.
