Charterhouse of Pavia
Certosa di Pavia can be reached from Milan or from Pavia by bus or train. Buses run the most frequently: every hour. depart from Piazza Castello in Milan or in front of the train station in Pavia and drop off tourists in the distance 15 Min. walk from the abbey. However, having got off the train, turn left in front of the station building and walk along the Certosa Walls, until you reach the entrance (too 15 Min.).
Charterhouse of Pavia – V- VIII wt.-nd. 9.00-11.30 and 14.30-20.00; III-IVi IX-X wt.-nd 9.00-11.30 and 14.30-17.00;XI-II wt.-nd. 9.00-11.30 and 14.30-16.00; Free entrance.
Charterhouse of Pavia, located 10 kilometers from Pavia, erected by order of Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1396, as a family mausoleum, is one of the most magnificent monasteries in Europe, because the intention of the Visconti was to build a church similar to the Gothic cathedral in Milan. The works took over a hundred years, and by the time they were completed, the dominant views on art were different, what's more, Viscontich zastąpili Sforzowie. Nevertheless, Amadeo, the architect appointed for the completion of the work, did it with style: the facade is decorated with fancifully inlaid marble, twisted columns and friezes, which more proclaim the glory of the families financing the construction of the complex, than the contemplative Carthusian Order, for which the object was intended.
The abbey lies at the end of a tree-lined avenue, which was part of the former Hunting Grounds of the Visconti, stretching all the way to the castle in Pavia. As impressive as the façade, the Gothic interior of the church can be visited without a guide.
Among the paintings, statues and vaults, creating the impression of the splendor of the ballroom, it is worth finding two masterpieces of Renaissance art, graves of Lodovic Sforza, called II Moro and Gian Galeazzo Visconti. Visiting the rest of the abbey requires joining a group with a guide (Italian). The complex is walked around for just over an hour, and one of the Carthusians shows him around, who, especially for this purpose, was relieved of a strict vow of silence.
First, you go through small cloisters decorated with beautiful terracotta, whose central point is a symmetrical garden with a fountain. Further great cloisters are passed, admittedly less interesting from an artistic point of view, but giving a picture of monks' lives: on three sides they are surrounded by the cells of the monks, each of which consists of two rooms, chapel, garden and loggia, and a bedroom upstairs.
Holes, located on the side of each cell door, they make it possible to deliver food to the monks without having to communicate. There is also a refectory decorated with frescoes on the ceiling, where monks sometimes eat together. A pulpit is placed in it, from which passages from the Bible are read during these silent meetings. Finally, it is worth visiting the monastery shop with the famous liqueur (Chartreuse), honey, chocolate and souvenirs. At the kiosk in front of the entrance, you can try different types of liqueur (green is stronger than yellow).
Pavia – Practical details: gastronomy and nightlife
The Haiti Bar in Corso Cavour is a good place to have your morning coffee, cappuccino or cookies. Quick breakfast, tasty sandwiches, pizzas and sweet cookies can be enjoyed at Medagliani (na Corso Cavour i Corso Garibaldi), while feeling like something really good, must visit Pasticceria Demetrio in the cellar on Via Guidi (między Piazzale Stazione in Corso Mazzini).
Bar Yittoria, Strada Nuova 8, it's a good and spacious paninoteca, which has about hundreds of different types of sandwiches to choose from. More for dinner dishes are served in the cozy Bar del Senatore on Via del Senatore (Corso Cavour block).
Pavia prides itself on its kitchen, making, that most restaurants are expensive here. There are exceptions, however: Tuscany pizzeria, Via Cardano 6 (Strada Nuova block), offers pizza by the meter, and Piedigrotta, near the church at the end of Via Teodolinda, has good, inexpensive pizzas and flour dishes. A bit more expensive, but wonderfully located (on the other side of the Ticino River), is Osteria della Malora.
Posters placed on the city inform about the latest cultural events. During the academic year, foreign film screenings are held, and in the first half. September concert festival, folklore events and parades, Settembre Pavese. You can also visit two clubs located in the center: Cafe Insomnia on Vicolo San Sebastiano (Strada Nuova block) and Docking, Via Rezia 42.