Certosa di Pavia Monastery, considered one of the architectural masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, is about an hour’s drive from Cremona.
The 15th-century Carthusian monastery features detailed inlaid woodwork on the choir stalls, colorful frescoes, altars inlaid with semiprecious stones, marble flooring, courtyards with fine terracotta designs, statues and carvings of Roman emperors, a small formal garden in the Small Cloister, and 24 monks cells in the Great Cloister, where modern-day monks live a life of silence and contemplation.
Admission to the monastery is free; donationas are accepted.
From Cremona, take A21 west toward Piacenza/Torino. After Stradella look for exit S35 north toward Milano. Stay on the main road past Pavia, and then look for signs for Certosa di Pavia.