Certosa e Museo di San Martino

In 1325, the Charterhouse of San Martino was established, and the Sienese architect and sculptor Tino di Camaino was commissioned to construct it.

Over the course of five centuries, the Charterhouse underwent a series of continuous renovations. In 1581, a significant expansion project was initiated, entrusted to the architect Giovanni Antonio Dosio, which transformed the monastery's original Gothic structure into its current Baroque form. The increasing number of monks necessitated a comprehensive renovation of the Great Cloister. This involved the construction of additional cells and a complete overhaul of the water system. The driving force behind this new and striking transformation of the Charterhouse of San Martino was Prior Severo Turboli, who held office from the latter part of the 16th century until 1607. The work commenced under Dosio's direction and was subsequently continued by Giovan Giacomo di Conforto, who constructed the substantial cistern located within the cloister.

On 6 September 1623, the collaboration between architect Cosimo Fanzago and the monastery commenced on the San Martino building site. Despite various challenges and setbacks, the partnership continued until 1656. Fanzago's influence was pervasive, evident in every aspect of the monastery's design. Fanzago's work is distinguished by an exceptional level of decorative activity, whereby traditional geometric decorations are transformed into intricate compositions featuring foliage, fruit, stylised volutes, and a chromatic and volumetric quality that lends a striking sense of realism and sensuality. In approximately 1723, Andrea Canale, the royal engineer and architect of the Certosa, was succeeded by his son Nicola Tagliacozzi Canale, who is more widely known for his work as an engraver and creator of scenic devices. Nicola is commonly referred to as an architect-scenographer. He occupied a prominent position within the refined culture of the 18th century, where he was at the forefront of experimentation with taste in decoration and the integration of ornamentation and architectural structure. He was a contributor to the vibrant and passionate artistic movement known as Rococo, which synthesised painting, sculpture and architecture in a harmonious and unified manner.
The complex sustained damage during the 1799 revolution and was subsequently occupied by French forces. The monarch ordered the suppression of the Carthusian monks, who were suspected of republican sympathies. However, he eventually agreed to their reintegration. Following the lifting of the suppression, the monks returned to San Martino in 1804. Following the departure of the last monks from the Carthusian Monastery in 1812, the complex was utilised by the military as a facility for the care of war invalids until 1831. It was then once again abandoned for the purpose of urgent restoration. In 1836, a small group of monks returned to San Martino and subsequently took up permanent residence there. Following the suppression of the religious orders and the subsequent transfer of ownership to the state, the Charterhouse was transformed into a museum in 1866 at the behest of Giuseppe Fiorelli. It was then attached to the National Museum as a detached section and opened to the public in 1867.

The following sections are accessible for public viewing at the Museum and Charterhouse of San Martino: The museum comprises the following sections: the Church, the Naval Section, the Monks' Apothecary, the Crib Section, the Prior's Quarter, the Images and Memories of the City Section, the Theatre Section and the Gardens.