Discover Padula: Charterhouse, Museums and Trails
Accommodation in Padula
When planning your trip to Padula, it is worth deciding first what you want to focus on: the Certosa di San Lorenzo, museums and religious buildings offer different cultural and historical themes. Trails through the Valle dei Mulini and the Sentiero di San Michele alle Grottelle offer a different perspective. So if you are looking for hotels for a stay in Padula, you can base your choice on the places and themes that interest you most.
Charterhouse and Museums
The Certosa di San Lorenzo has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998. The Museo archeologico provinciale della Lucania occidentale offers an archaeological perspective. It was founded in 1957 to collect rich finds from excavations in Sala Consilina and Padula, including around 1,500 tombs.
The Museo Civico Multimediale is housed in Palazzo Brando, near Padula Town Hall. The Casa Museo di Joe Petrosino preserves the original rooms of the Petrosino house, along with its original furnishings and objects from that time. A multimedia section on the upper floor explores the history of the anti-mafia movement through original recordings and visual documents from the Rai Teche archives.
Religious Sites and Architecture
The Chiesa Madre S. Michele Arcangelo is dedicated to Padula’s patron saint, the Archangel Michael. Its original core was probably established in the 9th century, at the same time as the town centre began to take shape. At the Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte, a chapel added later features traces of Byzantine frescoes. In the rock caves of San Sepolcro in Padula, the Eremo di San Michele alle Grottelle is an example of rock-cut architecture.
The elevation also provides a useful point of reference: the Santuario Beata Vergine Maria del Monte Romito lies 1,380 metres above sea level.
Trails and Landscape
In the Valle dei Mulini, trails pass through a gorge to the ruins of the mills. One of the best-known trails starts on the hill above Padula, descends and follows the medieval aqueduct that supplied the mills and the monastery of San Francesco.
The Sentiero di San Michele alle Grottelle is a circular trail about 15 kilometres long. It starts at the Certosa di San Lorenzo, crosses the archaeological site of Consilinum and then leads into Padula’s historic old town.
Practical Information on Visits and Events
The Certosa di San Lorenzo is accessible to people with disabilities. Wheelchairs and ramps are available to access most of the buildings. If this access is important to your plans, check which areas it covers before your visit.
For around 30 years, Pro Loco Padula has reenacted the historic event “Frittata delle mille uova” at the Certosa di San Lorenzo. The event includes musical performances, as well as the preparation and tasting of traditional dishes from Padula. The programme may vary from one edition to another. If you plan to attend, check the date and programme for the relevant edition.
Discover more destinations: Sicilì, Atrani, Contursi, San Rufo, Pollica, Lustra, Arenabianca, Capezzano.
For the overview of the wider area: Salerno.
