84 column. 320 rooms. An area of 51.500 m2 with an extended cloister for 12.000 m2 which makes it the largest in the world. These are some of the numbers that make the Certosa di Padula, the largest in Italy. Dedicated to San Lorenzo, It was founded in 1306 by Thomas Sanseverino, who gave the order of the Carthusians. The main part is baroque and tells over 450 of history, with millions of people who trampled its entry. Today the Certosa houses the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Western Lucania, with a collection of finds from the excavations of the necropolis of Sala Consilina and Padula.

History, art and culture

The Charterhouse was founded in 1306 by Tommaso San Severino, lord of the whole Vallo di Diano, who gave the order of the Carthusians. It is one of the largest monasteries in the world. Originally Certosa di San Lorenzo, Padula is named for its proximity to the homonymous country. The structure is typical of Charterhouses: at the top there were the lodgings of Carthusian monks there who led an ascetic life and rigorous; at the bottom were the lay brothers who had the task of administering the assets of the order and oversaw the agricultural and handicraft activities.