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Although originally Gothic in style, the façade has mostly been overlain with Baroque decoration, including the large round windows.

The nave of the church is a riot of Baroque art – the most complete record of Neapolitan art from the 17th and 18th centuries crowded into a single space.

Dominating the ceiling is the Ascension of Jesus by Lanfranco, while the counter-façade has a lovely Pietà by Stanzione.

The altar, designed by Solimena, sports silver putti by Giacomo Colombo and silver angels by Sanmartino, who did many of the marble figures that adorn the chapels.

The richly carved walnut choir stalls were executed between 1629 and 1631 by Orazio de Orio and Giovanni Mazzuoli. Note the cherubs and the abundance of volute curves.

The eight chapels are decorated in a unified style consistent with the main part of the church. All of them are rich with brightly coloured marbles and opulent gilded stucco trim.

The Large Cloister is one of Italy’s finest, with a 64-marble-columned portico designed in the 16th century in Renaissance style.

Taking up a corner of the Chiostro Grande is a plot where a small number of monks have been laid to rest.

These were the quarters of the monastery’s Prior, the only one of the monks who was allowed contact with the outside world. Aristocratic furnishings and priceless works of art adorn the walls.

One of the most satisfying aspects of the Certosa are its gardens. Not only are the views from here picture-perfect, but the gardens themselves are lush and fragrant, with flower and fruit-tree plantings, fountains and marble benches.