Serra San Bruno: Charterhouse, Art and Sacred Places

Serra San Bruno can be explored through several specific themes: the history of the Charterhouse, sacred architecture, sculpture and paths through the woodland landscape. These themes take centre stage in different places. If you are looking for a hotel in Serra San Bruno, you can shape your trip around a particular theme: the history of the religious order and the museum exhibits offer different perspectives from the Cammino del Normanno or the town’s place on a cycling stage.

The Charterhouse, monastic history and architecture

The Certosa di Serra San Bruno is the first Carthusian monastery in Italy and the second of the entire order. It lies in a picturesque wood on the outskirts of Serra San Bruno. Here, the monastery’s historical context is closely linked to its woodland setting.

The Museo della Certosa was established in 1994 at the initiative of the monastic community within the monastery walls. Its tour takes visitors through 22 rooms: it begins with the history of Saint Bruno and the order he founded, followed by exemplary reconstructions of areas of the Charterhouse with their original furnishings. The sequence moves from the history of the order to examples that bring the spaces to life. At the end is a small chapel in a 16th-century tower, where visitors can spend a moment in solitude and prayer.

The Chiesa di San Biagio houses four marble statues from the Charterhouse: Santo Stefano, San Bruno, La Madonna con Bambino and San Giovanni Battista. The present-day church was rebuilt after the earthquake, partly with 800 ducats from the Cassa Sacra. The date of the reconstruction, 30 August 1795, is inscribed above the portal.

Museums and sculpture

The Gipsoteca Pisani is dedicated to the sculptor Giuseppe Maria Pisani, who was born in Serra San Bruno. Housed in a recently restored building, it contains the artist’s entire studio. On display are plaster casts of numerous sculptures; many were cast in bronze and installed in squares, churches or cemeteries in cities across Italy and abroad. The Gipsoteca thus focuses on the work of a single sculptor, while the Museo della Certosa explores Saint Bruno and the order.

Sacred places and woodland

The Santuario di Santa Maria del Bosco was rebuilt after the 1783 earthquake on the remains of an older church that Saint Bruno had commissioned for the monks’ prayers. The complex lies among old silver firs and young beech trees. Opposite the Santuario is the Dormitorio di San Bruno, believed to be the monk’s burial place. It houses a marble statue by Stefano Pisani dating from the late 18th century.

The Cammino del Normanno passes through the village of Croce Ferrata and then continues through the forest to the Eremo di Santa Maria del Bosco in Serra San Bruno. Croce Ferrata is known for the presence of the local carbonai serresi. The route described thus leads from a named place through the forest to its destination within the municipal area.

Routes and getting there

On Stage 3 of the Ciclovia dei Parchi della Calabria through the Parco Regionale Naturale delle Serre, Serra San Bruno is reached at an elevation of 798 metres, at kilometre 46, along the Fiume Ancinale. While this cycling route is described with stage, elevation and distance details, the Cammino is defined by the sequence of Croce Ferrata, forest and Eremo.

If you are travelling from the north, the route takes you via the Pizzo Calabro exit and then along the SS 110. Road conditions and signage may change; check both before setting off.

Discover more destinations:

Monterosso Calabro, Filadelfia, Torre Marino, Brattiro', Filogaso, Capistrano, San Costantino Calabro, Caria

For the higher-level travel overview: Vibo Valentia.