If we had to choose just one place to look down on Naples, we would pick the Vomero hill, where Castel Sant’Elmo and the Certosa di San Martino stand side by side. A fortress and a monastery: two opposite worlds, united by a view that takes in the bay, Vesuvius and the islands. Here is how to visit both in a single day.
Castel Sant’Elmo, the star on the hill
The castle stands at about 250 metres above sea level and takes its name from a church dedicated to Saint Erasmus (Sant’Erasmo) that stood here as early as the 10th century. The first fortification was commissioned in 1329 by Robert of Anjou, with the work entrusted to Francesco de Vito and Tino di Camaino.
What we see today dates back to the 16th century, when the viceroy Don Pedro de Toledo had the fortress rebuilt starting in 1537. The design by the architect Pedro Luis Escrivá gave the castle its famous six-pointed star plan, without traditional towers and conceived for artillery. Walking along the bastions, you really get a feel for this unusual shape.
From fortress to prison, and finally a museum
In 1587 lightning struck the powder magazine and the explosion destroyed part of the castle, causing many casualties. In the following centuries Sant’Elmo was also a prison: its inmates included the philosopher Tommaso Campanella and several leading figures of the Neapolitan Republic of 1799.
Today the castle is a cultural venue: it hosts temporary exhibitions and the museum devoted to 20th-century Neapolitan art, described in The Museo del Novecento at Castel Sant’Elmo. The best moment, though, comes when you reach the Piazza d’Armi at the top of the fortress: from here the view sweeps over the whole city, from the historic centre to the port.
The Certosa di San Martino
Just a few steps from the castle stands the Certosa di San Martino (Charterhouse of Saint Martin), founded in 1325 at the behest of Charles of Anjou, Duke of Calabria, and consecrated in 1368 under Queen Joanna I. Over the centuries the Carthusian monks turned it into one of the richest religious complexes in the city.
Between the late 16th and the 17th century Giovanni Antonio Dosio and above all Cosimo Fanzago worked here, giving the Certosa its Baroque appearance. In the Chiostro Grande (Great Cloister) we recommend looking for the monks’ small cemetery, decorated with marble skulls: a detail that always strikes those who discover it.
The church and the Museo di San Martino
The Certosa’s church is a treasure trove of 17th-century Neapolitan painting, with works by Giovanni Lanfranco, Jusepe de Ribera, Massimo Stanzione and Luca Giordano. Coloured marble, frescoes and side chapels create an effect of great richness that we suggest you take in slowly.
Since 1866 the rooms of the Certosa have housed the Museo nazionale di San Martino, devoted to the history and art of Naples. The best-loved sections are the nativity scenes, with crowded scenes of shepherds and figures from everyday life, and the naval section. The Quarto del Priore (Prior’s Quarters) preserves 18th-century majolica floors, while the hanging gardens offer another splendid view over the bay.
Getting there and when to go
The most pleasant way to go up to the Vomero is to take one of the funiculars (Centrale, Chiaia or Montesanto) or Metro Line 1 to Vanvitelli station; from there you continue on foot following the signs, with a short climb. The castle and the Certosa are lovely in every season, but for the view we recommend clear autumn and winter days, when you can see all the way to Capri. Allow at least half a day for both, and check opening times and tickets on the official website before you go.
Nearby
After the castle, round off the day with the museum described in The Museo del Novecento at Castel Sant’Elmo. If the nativity scenes of San Martino have sparked your curiosity, read The Neapolitan nativity scene and pop into the artisans’ street described in San Gregorio Armeno, the street of nativity scenes. From up here you will also see the castle on Piazza Municipio, the subject of The Maschio Angioino. For everything else, start from our guide Naples and Surroundings.
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