certosa di pavia

The view of this church is amazing. It is a stunning monument. The staff inside toy though were horribly rude and not helpful or willing to answer our questions for info politely. Very disappointing but the place is well worth a visit. Shame no pics allowed.

We got the train from Milan there and back in a day. The trip isn't very long - about 30 minutes each way. Don't plan to arrive between 11.30am and 2.30pm - it closes over lunch. Once in Pavia we got a cab from the train station to the Certosa. If you aren't a super independent traveler, take the business card of the cab you get there when you leave the cab so you can call for your return trip. They will come and pick you up and take you back to the station. We had to do this in the afternoon because there was no one around and directions weren't great. It is about 8kms outside of Pavia itself. If you get a train that stops at the Certosa Di Pavia stop (instead of in the town of Pavia like we did), you can walk it from there. The monastery complex is beautifully preserved and a highlight of the region. It is one of the largest monasteries in the whole of Italy. The stunning complex has Gothic and Renaissance style architecture and artwork particular to the area. Try to make the effort to see it, you will never forget it.

Unless you have a car, the least difficult way to get to Certosa di Pavia from Milan is by suburban train #S13 which goes about twice an hour from the Bovisa train station to the town of Pavia. Forget about taking the bus from Famagosta as recommended by some guidebooks. You can intercept this train at the Republica, Porta Venezia, and Rogoredo metro stations. Buy your ticket from the vending machine - the station you want is Certosa di Pavia, one stop before Pavia. It costs 3.50 euros. It's a short ride, about 20 minutes. When you get off at the small Certosa di Pavia station, come out the front door and turn left (south). Go to the end of the short street, and then right (west) till you come to the back wall of the monastery complex. You'll see it from a distance.The entry gate is way on the other side, so you have to go around the wall to reach it. Facing the wall, take the path to the right (north) and keep going. It's about a 15-minute walk. The site, including the church, closes between 11:30 and 2:30. For taking photos of the church facade, the light is better after 2:30.

From the train station it is a trek, so wear comfortable walking shoes. We were there a few hours and that was plenty for me. The art and architecture were interesting, but there are so many beautiful churches in Italy it is hard for me to say this is the best.

My favourite church in Lombardy. It's beautiful on the outside and inside, with it's unique architecture and plethora of frescoes dating from the middle ages. Definitely worth the trip from milan.

We have never seen anything like this place before. The Benedictine priest welcomed us and took us around the monastery and explained the history and the significance of the unique works of art. The peace and holiness of the priest could be felt even if our visit took around 25 minutes. All those who have the opportunity to go there will remember the place for sure!

We went on a Saturday and didn't realize only the hourly train stopped at Certosa di Pavia. So by the time we arrived, they were closing (11:30). We didn't find much direction from the train station, but we could see the church over the tree line and then at the wall there was a small path and a sign pointing the way. We had to walk 2.5 sides of wall before we arrived at the main gate. We could walk in, but groups were heading back to the entrance. We peeked in the church and the gift shop, but the museum had closed. So we decided to find lunch. There is a small eatery just outside the main gate. Turn left and walk, the restaurant is on your right. Seating is outdoors under a huge tree. There is a cat and a chicken that patrol under the tables looking for handouts. Some cooking is done outdoors on a huge grill. There is a fixed price tourist menu or a la carte. We had a lovely bottle of rose prosecco, a mixed salad, and tomato spaghetti. The bread was excellent-brown and heavy. Finished with corto espresso and limoncello. (40 euro) The certosa doesn't open until 2:30 so we walked around a bit and slipped into the little bar two doors down. The house white wine is 2 euro and we had a glass and sat by the stream. When the doors opened, we headed for the museum. We were the only people there and a young man began to talk to us about the plaster pieces. Then he took us upstairs to a gallery with paintings. We spent about two hours with him and it was very special. He took us to the church and talked the guard into letting us past the sanctuary gates. There were tour groups in there, but they were German and French. We wandered about and slipped back out. The gift shop has honey, bee pollen, honey soap, some liqueurs, guide books, and holy cards and medals. All in all, it was a lovely day and one I highly recommend

I have travelled a lot in Italy but never got the chance to go to the Certosa until this time. What a stunning experience. When we went in September the place was still in full bloom and the effect was gorgeous.But that was just the warm-up. The inside of the church is nothing short of spectacular, easily a place where you can spend an hour or two just looking at the chapels and the ceiling frescoes. And do spend the time imprinting the memories in your brain because photos are not allowed and there is a monk who can apparently be everywhere at once scolding those who dare to point a camera or cellphone at anything; we were told he has been released from his monastic vow of silence for just that purpose! If you are anywhere in the area of Pavia, you should defintiely make this detour.

A unique place to visit... this monastery is a hidden gem like what other people call it... you will understand and imagine how life of a priest really begins.. you will learn a lot of things seeing the monastery... i've already visited this twice many years ago.. but it still amazed me every time i see it..anytime of the year is ok to visit but the best time to go will be summer because plants and flowers are blooming... entrance view will be breathtaking;) lot of hidden history...

This is a tough review to write - I do not really know where to start. This is one of the best side trips I made - a short distance from Milan. The Certosa di Pavia is absolutelky worth the trip.I was quite lucky to arrive early at the attraction. The gates were closed and a couple was busy arranging souvenirs in a stand in front of the attraction. Exactly at 9 someone opened the gates and vanished inside the building. There is no fee to pay, no reception, no security guards. Once you get inside, this is one of the best basilica + monastery around. Excellent conservation, beatiful location. Memorable. Awesome.

In all the years that I have traveled in Italy, I have not heard of this monastery until recently so I decided to make sure to stop by this time around. It is totally amazing to find such an elaborate complex with such rich decorations within the chapel. It's quite unlike other duomo in Italy and afterwards make the Milano duomo seem so ordinary.What ever it takes, it's definitely worth a visit and the opening hours in summer are much more accessible, especially in the afternoon.Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to visit Pavia which I understand is a very charming town for a visit.

We went from Milan using the metro and the local trains, the hotel staff explained it to us in detail and we had no problems. There are no tours that we knew of and I wanted to visit this place since I had read about it in my Art History classes. After you arrive in Certosa there is a 30 minute walk to the Monastery, be sure to checkthe times since they close around noon and do not open back until the afternoon. We had a beautiful crisp day so the walk was very enjoyable. The place is beautiful, there is no charge to visit the church, but the cloisters and the back of the church is by reservations with a monk as a quide. We were lucky that a group of school childrens were to take this private tour and sneaked in with them :). The only problem was that the tour was in Italian so we did not understand it completely, (we speak Spanish so we could understand some...) The place is fascinating, I recommend you make reservations for a tour (which is free, you just give a voluntary donation), since you might not be as lucky as we were. We left Milan early and were back around 1:00pm.

The sense of serenity and peace that the Cistercien guide will transmit to you during the visit , looking at this architectural masterpiece , is unique. In my opinion is necessary to have this guide to achive the best result of the visit. A few Cistercian are still living there ,so one expert will explain it to you .D' ont forget to buy some sweets from monks , It will be a great present

Thinking about leaving Milan for a day, Pavia is perfect place to go. Monastery is a true pearl, especially when visiting with a guide. There a lot to explore and wandering just by yourself, lot of information will go missing. Its beautiful but its also significant. And quite a different world compared to busy and tourist-packed Milan. Massive but quiet. And while already in the region, couple of hours in Pavia town are worth to spend as well.

If you are anywhere within a two hour drive of this architectural masterpiece you must visit it.Allow at least three hours to really absorb the atmosphere and the beauty of Certosa. We visited on Sunday when tours of the cloisters were taking place. The Abbey is closed on Mondays and I recommend you check if tours operate on the other weekdays before you visit. As far as I know they do not operate over the lunch time period.To get the most out of your visit, try and take the free tour with one of the Cistercian monks as your guide. The tour is in Italian but if you have some Italian you will understand most of the narrative. I found the monk a very entertaining guide who actually spoke some English.Taking a tour with somebody who loves the place will enhance the experience and point out important pieces of art you may overlook alone.A guide also gives you access to the more interesting and historical parts of the abbey - cloisters (inner and outer), courtyards and the monastery that housed up to 40 monks in the olden days.