Pavia
Approx. Time: 6 hoursActivity Level: Easiest
Certosa of Pavia
One of Italy's most impressive churches and marvelous abodes of peace and tranquility, the Abbey and the Monastery are two highly recommended sites located near Milan. The Santa Maria di Chiaravalle di Fiastra Abbey was founded in 1142 by Guarniero, Duke of Spoleto, who gave the piece of land to a community of Cistercian monks from Chiaravalle, Milan. Its architecture is in Romanesque-Burgundian style, and characterized by plainness and austerity. Building materials for its construction were taken from the nearby Roman settlement of Urbs Salvia. The most important elements of the abbey are arranged around the cloister that is the heart of the monastery: here the monks would contemplate and meditate while walking, or sit under the arcade and study the Sacred Scriptures. A monumental well still stands in the middle and is connected to a cistern which receives rain-water.
Courtesy of the Italy Tourism Board
