Naples: Certosa e Museo San Martino

When I took a close-up or two of a church through the embrasures in the walls of Castel Sant’Elmo, I didn’t realize that we’d be heading there next … the Charterhouse Church and Monastery of San Martino.

St Martin’s was one of the most important monasteries of the Carthusian monks. It was founded in 1325 as a complex following Carthusian rules. That is, it had a church, cloisters, and vegetable gardens. Not much remains of the original Gothic structure as much of it has been covered by decorative elements and stucco work that was added in the following centuries. After Naples was proclaimed a republic in 1799, the monks were forced to leave. Though they returned a few years later, their numbers were greatly reduced. In 1866, the monastery was handed over to the State, and a year later it became part of the National Museum.

At first, the exhibits were linked primarily to Neapolitan history and were housed in the Prior’s quarters, the refectory, the old pharmacy, and the entrance hall. During the 1900s, the collections displayed grew and became more varied, and new sections of the monastery were added as exhibit space.

We started out by checking out the Charterhouse Church, which was built between 1365-1368 as part of the original monastery complex. Beginning in the late 16th century, the Gothic structure underwent restoration work that added features that were Baroque in nature … followed by more restoration that added Rococo features to the interior … such as the amazing marble, gemstone, and bronze balustrade. We found the marble marquetry work especially beautiful and eye-catching.

Then we went into the museum itself. The exhibited art was distinctly religious in nature. But there were also other interesting exhibits that had us spending time studying them. As well, the ceilings in several of the rooms were beautifully painted.

One highlight here was the diorama entitled the Cuciniello Crib … so named for the donor of the pieces that make up the collection. Essentially a nativity scene exhibited in the monks’s kitchens, it includes shepherds, animals, works of still life, the procession of the Three Wise Kings, and more … all arranged to show everyday life in the 18th century. I found it interesting that the lighting went from dawn to daylight to dusk to night, changing the ambiance of the diorama. But I think it was also a gimmick to keep visitors moving along as most did just that after dusk fell on the scene.

Another highlight was the Great Cloister. This common area would have been the center of activity in the lives of the monks. The original cloister was redesigned at the end of the 16th century in the Renaissance style. The landscaping was simple … though the arches around the quadrangle, and the balustrade of the Monk’s Cemetery — topped with sculptures of skulls — added eye-catching details.

We strolled around the cloister before finding the stairs that took us up to the choir of the Charterhouse church, and behind the altar for a different perspective of what we’d seen earlier.

The small gallery featuring paintings of Naples of old was our last stop here … an appropriate way to end our visit to the museum.Read more