Visitors to the library at the Certosa di San Lorenzo in Padula must enter in socks. Those using the spiral staircase, however, are required to wear shoes with rubber soles. The new rules are intended to protect the historic interiors while keeping the library accessible to the public.
The measures safeguard the library’s 18th-century majolica floor and the staircase steps from wear caused by visitors. They also avoid the use of disposable plastic shoe covers. Under the visitor route, people wear rubber-soled shoes on the staircase and remove them before entering the main room.
The tiled floor was made in the 18th century by Donato and Giuseppe Massa. The library is reached by a spiral staircase with 38 single-block steps leading to an antechamber. Its ceiling features a large 1763 painting by Leonardo Olivieri depicting Aurora in her chariot, the Last Judgment and an Allegory of Science. Frescoes by Filippo Pascale, dating to 1769, decorate the walls.
The library is open on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., except on public holidays. Opening arrangements may change because of organisational needs. Founded in 1306 at the initiative of Tommaso Sanseverino, the Certosa covers more than 50,000 square metres and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
Sources: ANSA Cultura.