Serra San Bruno between Certosa, art and forest

Monastic landscape on the edge of town

Serra San Bruno brings together monastic history, art and woodland landscapes within a compact thematic area. The Certosa di Serra San Bruno is the first Carthusian monastery in Italy and the second of the entire order. It is located in a picturesque forest on the edge of Serra San Bruno. This makes the town a destination for you if, during a trip through Italy, you want to discover not only landscapes but also religious history and an established cultural heritage.

Churches and traces of history

The Chiesa di San Biagio contains four marble statues from the Certosa: 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 rebuilding, 30 August 1795, is indicated above the portal. The Santuario di Santa Maria del Bosco was rebuilt after the 1783 earthquake on the remains of an older church that San Bruno had commissioned for the monks' prayers.

The complex of the Santuario di Santa Maria del Bosco lies among old silver firs and young beech trees. Opposite is the Dormitorio di San Bruno, considered the monk's burial place, which houses a marble statue from the late 18th century by Stefano Pisani. The combination of architectural history, religious remembrance and forest makes this part of Serra San Bruno particularly rich in character.

Museums of monastic history and art

The Museo della Certosa was established in 1994 at the initiative of the monastic community within the monastery walls. Its tour comprises 22 rooms: it begins with the history of San Bruno and the order he founded, followed by exemplary reconstructed areas of the Certosa with original furnishings. The tour ends in a small chapel set up in a 16th-century tower; visitors can pause there for a moment of solitude and prayer.

The Gipsoteca Pisani is dedicated to the sculptor Giuseppe Maria Pisani, who came from 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 of them were cast in bronze and installed in squares, churches or cemeteries in numerous Italian and foreign cities.

Stages, forest and regional cuisine

On stage 3 of the Ciclovia dei Parchi della Calabria through the Parco Regionale Naturale delle Serre, Serra San Bruno is reached at an altitude of 798 m at kilometre 46 along the Fiume Ancinale. The Cammino del Normanno passes through the village of Croce Ferrata and then 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. When you choose a hotel in Serra San Bruno, you can plan your trip around these highlights: monastic history and art, a stage of the Ciclovia or the Cammino del Normanno, as well as regional cuisine.

Around Serra San Bruno, forest products such as mushrooms, which accompany first or second courses, as well as the traditional sweet pastry “‘nzulli” belong to the local gastronomic culture. From the north, the journey leads via the Pizzo Calabro exit and then along the SS 110. This allows you to discover Serra San Bruno as a destination with a cultural focus, a connection to nature and regional flavour.

Further destinations for orientation: Santa Maria Di Ricadi, Ricadi, Pannaconi, Spilinga, Drapia, Santa Domenica, Zambrone and Francavilla Angitola.

For the higher-level travel overview: Vibo Valentia.