Museo Nazionale della Certosa Monumentale di Calci

Museo Nazionale della Certosa Monumentale di Calci

Museo Nazionale della Certosa Monumentale di Calci
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
About
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles513 reviews
Excellent
312
Very good
157
Average
24
Poor
9
Terrible
12

bombaybeauty
New York City, NY273 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
Worth a visit if you are in Luca or Pisa. The Certosa is decorated with magnificent Baroque and rococo paintings. In COVID, reservations are required, so call ahead. Even pre-COVID, you have to tour it with a group. Full of atmosphere, and stunning decorations. The same site also houses the natural history museum, and an aquarium, which are apparently worth the visit.
Written 23 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VistaStupenda
Lucca, Italy54 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
In October 2019 we visited the Certosa di Calci for the second time and were even more struck by its architectural beauty and exuberant decor. The church had been restored, following a roof leak a few years back, and the colours of the frescos were more vivid than ever. We had a 90-minute guided tour from an enthusiastic lady who knew her history well and spiced it with interesting anecdotes. She explained how the 3D floor tiles are unique one-offs, how Napoleon stripped the monastery of its best pieces and took them off to France. How no women were allowed in the monastery whatsoever, unless they were royalty. We particularly enjoyed visiting the pharmacy, which was an important repository of knowledge about medicine - and source of herbal medicines - in the Renaissance period. And the monks' living quarters, with their fireplace that was lit only half an hour per evening in winter, and their private courtyard gardens, with apple and orange trees. Allow three hours if you would like to combine visiting the monastery with the Natural History Museum next door.
Written 15 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jonathan D
Tienen, Belgium98 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2018 • Family
We had a few hours left and we were told to have a look at the monastery. Very good advice as it is a magnificent building. We had the guided tour, Italian only though, but luckily my wife speaks Italian. Worthwhile a detour.
Written 31 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cannuckk
Langley, Canada359 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2018 • Couples
We have been in the area many times before, and until a guidebook suggested a visit, we had no idea it was there. We did the Monastery only, the guided tour in Italian (no English tours that day, and nothing to say that they are offered on any kind of schedule). Don't let that put you off though, a bit of Internet/guide book research can give you useful info on what you are seeing, a fascinating look at what monastic life must have been like in the 1700's.
The attraction deserves 5 stars, but I have to deduct one because if you aren't offering multilingual tours, you should have a backup info source for visitors, such as plasticized info cards in each room that describe what you are looking at.
Still, a worthwhile use of your euros and time.
Written 5 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John B
Brussels, Belgium353 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Couples
You can see this amazing building from almost everywhere around Calci. Unfortunately you can't see the building without paying to go into the museum, but it's worth it.

The museum is a strange mixture of the very traditional and the very modern. There are minerals, fossils, stuffed animals, live fish, dinosaurs and an amazing collection of whale skeletons. A very interesting part is a recreation of the collections and study of the original 19th century collectors, and this is very well presented. In the (recently modernised) area on dinosaurs you'll find video screens and touch screens, and presented in beautiful old buildings.

Some people might not appreciate the large collection of stuffed mammals (all the collection of a single hunter...) but it's strangely impressive, and they do at least appear to be well made and hence reasonably realistic. And the collection of whales is both informative and excellently presented in a beautifully modernised wing of the building.

Certainly worth a visit.
Written 17 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicolaus
Pisa, Italy136 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
A very interesting visit in the Pisa countryside. There are many things that you can visit: the charterhouse itself, the natural history museum. My favorite part was the freshwater aquarium: it is the biggest in Italy and it really deserves a visit!
Written 19 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marcoappraisal
Taunton, UK82 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2016 • Family
It was by pure chance we visited the museum, only because we decided to stay in Calci in order to not stay overnight in Pisa. We noticed the grand front to the monestry at the top of the hill only 1000 meters from our lovely b&b. We were the only visitors and enjoyed a personal tour by a guide who could not speak English. This didn't affect the tour and we all mucked along to communicate the best we could. The monestry is one of the most stunning examples with its incredible 1300s cathedral. We were awesome struck with its beauty. History and culture. Highly recommended!
Written 29 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tina Y
Ebersberg, Germany4 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2016 • Couples
Tour through the monastery only in guided groups, we were lucky to understand sufficient Italian (no English or German was offered when we were there). Tours start at :30, ours took 1,5 h - a little too long for us who could not follow all questions and answers). Impressive place, our group of ~10 people was completely alone on the premises.
The natural history museum offers really interesting pieces and a sweet water aquarium. Audioguides in several languages, also English and German, but labels in Italian only. The little tanks and often lonely fish, though interesting, made us a little sad.
Written 6 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sheila t
Sheffield, UK5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Couples
We visited here by bus to Calci from Pisa,then a 15 minute pleasant country walk to the site which is stunning. The museum is set in a monastic complex and the old Carthusian monastery can also be visited,though we just visited the museum.
It is laid out in a very different way to most British museums,lots of space and the exhibits in the first section a display, of the collections of natural history items by wealthy Italian collectors in the 18c,was fascinating.A real insight into the scientific development of natural history.
An amazingly beautiful display of anemones, sponges,jelly fish etc. in GLASS by a maker called Leopold Blaschca in the mid 19c. was a high spot,as was the geological section with everything laid out in an interesting way.
We ran out of energy at that point so did not explore the rest of the complex!
There are English translations too which is useful, the only slight down side is that there is not a proper cafe,just a drinks machine,which is a shame!
Written 28 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fiona B
84 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2016 • Family
We visited here with young children and older grandparents. Used to b a monastery, very interesting facade now home to a small aquarium and dinosaur exhibition. Personally found the aquarium section a little disappointing, I've seen more Koi carp at my local garden centre. But overall there is Lots to see. Lots of archeological items too. We could certainly have stayed longer but had time constraints on this visit. Wonderful big gift shop with extremely good informative/educational books about nature and the environment for children.
Written 5 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MUSEO NAZIONALE DELLA CERTOSA MONUMENTALE DI CALCI: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Museo Nazionale della Certosa Monumentale di Calci