Padula Charterhouse and Baptistery of Saint Giovanni
The Certosa of Saint Lorenzo, better known as Certosa di Padula is one of the largest Monastery in Europe. The year of its foundation dates back to 1306, and is the work of Tommaso Sanseverino, lord of the Vallo di Diano. Over the course of time, the original structure has undergone considerable changes and has been enriched by new statues and works of art that can be admired today. The visitor is immersed in a fascinating world, halfway between a place of prayer and a farm in which the Carthusians fathers organized the agricultural production of the surrounding land. The Certosa is divided into “casa low” and “casa alta” – the first part is as a working environments, while the second is as a place of meditation and prayer.
Baptistery of Saint Giovanni in Fonte – Padula
Located on the border between Padula and Sala Consilina, the early Christian baptistery of Saint Giovanni in Fonte is between the sites of major interest in Vallo di Diano, if nothing else for its peculiarity: It is the only one in the world that draws the baptismal water directly from the source on which it stands. The area in which it is located has always been considered sacred by the presence of a source dedicated to the mythological spirit Leucothea. In the center of the ancient baptistery, the tank in which they immersed catechumens to be baptized can still be seen.
