Skip to content
ENITSign in
The Certosa di San Martino on its balcony above Naples and the bay

Certosa di San Martino

Naples' fourteenth-century Carthusian monastery turned museum, famous for its presepe collection and city views.

  • Naples
  • Museum
Plan your visit
Where
Largo San Martino, Naples
Best for
Baroque church and cloisters
Allow
2 hr 30 min

Carthusian monks founded the Certosa di San Martino in 1325 on the hill above Naples, and over four centuries they rebuilt it into one of the city's grandest complexes of Baroque and Rococo decoration, its marble-inlaid church a showcase for Neapolitan painters like Ribera and Giordano. Suppressed under Napoleonic rule and converted into a state museum in 1867, it now holds the city's history under one roof: naval models, royal carriages, and the Cuciniello presepe, an eighteenth-century nativity scene crowded with hundreds of painted figures across a mountainside backdrop. From the monks' former gardens, a terrace opens onto the best rooftop view of the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius, included in the entrance ticket.

An Angevin-period monastery repeatedly remade and converted into a state museum in 1867.

At a glance

Built
1325 · Gothic foundation; Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo transformations
By
Tino da Camaino; Giovanni Antonio Dosio; Cosimo Fanzago; Nicola Tagliacozzi Canale

Three works worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Cuciniello presepe18th-century Neapolitan figures, collected by Michele Cuciniello

    Hundreds of painted figures across a mountainside backdrop; Naples’s nativity tradition at its most lavish.Museum section

  2. The Baroque churchCosimo Fanzago with painters Ribera and Lanfranco

    Marble inlay and canvases by Neapolitan masters, a showcase of Baroque decoration.Certosa church

  3. The Great CloisterCosimo Fanzago

    A spacious marble-and-garden cloister, calm above the city.Behind the church

Plan your visit

Booking
Check booking requirements
Time needed
2 hr 30 min
Best time
Weekday mornings, or late afternoon for golden light over the bay from the terrace.
Getting there
From central Naples, take Metro Line 1 to Vanvitelli, then walk about ten minutes uphill, or ride the Montesanto or Centrale funicular partway up the hill. There is no dedicated visitor parking; street parking near the Certosa is limited.

€6 full price, €2 for EU citizens ages 18 to 25, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month.

Save the Quarto del Priore for last: its loggia and hanging garden give the same bay view as the main belvedere with a fraction of the crowd.

Official website
Get directionsGoogle MapsApple Maps

Largo San Martino, 5, 80129 Napoli (NA)

Good to know

How long should you spend at the Certosa di San Martino?

About two and a half hours for the church, cloisters, museum sections and terrace. Less if you focus on the presepe and the view.

How do you get to the Certosa di San Martino?

Take Metro Line 1 to Vanvitelli, or use a funicular up to the Vomero. Street parking is limited.

Is the Certosa di San Martino worth visiting?

Yes. It is one of Naples’s grandest Baroque complexes, with a superb presepe and the view from the terrace. It is also quieter than the centre.

At Christmas

The Cuciniello presepe gives a Christmas visit to San Martino a clear focus: painted figures, animals and accessories arranged as a world in miniature. Give the collection time rather than fitting it between shops in the historic centre. The Naples guide connects this museum outing with the living craft tradition around San Gregorio Armeno.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

Sources and citations (3)
  1. Certosa e Museo di San Martino
  2. Certosa di San Martino history
  3. Presepe collection

A letter from Italy, once a month.

The places, tables and makers we found worth your time. One email, no noise.

One letter a month. Unsubscribe at any time. We never share your address.