A gothic underground path reopened to the public, among the artistic wonders kept in one of the most precious treasures of the Neapolitan heritage
Another treasure of inestimable artistic and cultural value is about to be unveiled in Naples. The Superintendence of the Museum Pole of Naples and Caserta has, in fact, decided to reopen to the public the evocative gothic undergrounds of the Certosa di San Martino, which dominates the entire city from the top of the Vomero hill, next to Castel Sant'Elmo.
La Certosa di San Martino it was designed and built by some architects, including the famous Tino da Camaino, in 1325, at the behest of Charles of Anjou, and was finished in 1368, under the reign of Giovanna I. Its imposing structure still represents one of the most extraordinary examples of Gothic and Baroque architecture.
But not everyone knows that, under the Certosa, beautiful spaces are hidden that are nothing but the Gothic buildings of the monastic complex above, characterized by the typical arches and pointed pillars that make up the foundations of the Charterhouse, clearly visible from the outside as well. This underground path, built by Tino da Camaino himself, is all that remains of the original architectural style of the Charterhouse, and its recovery has been attempted several times, first in 1986 with the contribution of the Rotary Club, and then in 2000, when the Gothic undergrounds they began to welcome marble works, sculptures, epigraphs and fragments of tombstones which, until then, were kept inside the Museum of San Martino.
From Saturday, January 24 2015 so they will be able to travel through the Gothic undergrounds of the Certosa admiring about 150 works, collected through purchases, transfers and bequests that took place between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, structured both in chronological order, between the Middle Ages and the eighteenth century, and topographical, with stone evidence arranged according to the origin of a common urban context (churches, palaces, castles, streets, squares of the city).
An evocative and unusual route that will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the distant medieval and baroque past of the city, admiring, among the most precious works, the sarcophagus of Beatrice del Balzo, the splendid Madonna and Child of Raphaelesque culture and the imposing St. Francis of Assisi by Giuseppe Sanmartino. There is also a collection of ancient inscriptions, a chronicle of the events that took place in the city over the centuries.
Recall that from April 2015 are also provided extraordinary afternoon openings.
Information on the visit to the Gothic undergrounds
When: from Saturday 24 January 2015; every Saturday and Sunday at 11.30
Price tickets: the guided tour is included in the Certosa entrance ticket at the cost of 6 euro
Info and booking: reservations required by sending an email to ospenza.sanmartino@beniculturali.it | info at 081.2294503
Photos | The Journal of Art
