Exploring Padula

Accessibility

Please note that our village is on a hilltop: you must walk either up or down steep inclines, stone steps and narrow cobble-stone streets in order to access Casa Padula, local historic sites, and all shops, restaurants, etc. 

Bringing a car

A car is not necessary during your residency but if you decide to drive to us,  please let us know and we can help advise you regarding parking, driving directions, etc.

A couple useful links:

Padula in Foto 
Photos of all the neighborhoods, churches and historical sites in Padula, plus maps, information and guides. Curated by photographer Domenico Trezza, a Padula native with a passion for his hometown.

​Padula Sacra 
In-depth information on the sacred sites located in Padula, a walking itinerary, plus an on-line reservation portal to schedule a visit to any of the sites. Curated by Don Giuseppe Radesca, Padula's parish priest and vicar general for the diocese Teggiano-Policastro.

Besides walking through the countryside, or wandering the maze of streets in the historic center, you may also want to explore a little farther and wider:

• ​The Certosa di San Lorenzo is the largest monastery in Southern Italy as well as one of the most interesting in Europe for its architectural magnificence and abundance of artistic treasures.
  https://www.beniculturali.it/luogo/certosa-di-san-lorenzo
• The Archeological Museum of the Lucania is housed inside the Certosa di San Lorenzo and has a wonderful collection of artifacts from local excavations.
• The Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte, below the village of Padula, is a paleochristian baptism pool constructed on the ruins of a temple to a pagan water nymph.
   https://fondoambiente.it/luoghi/il-battistero-paleocristiano-di-san-giovanni-in-fonte?ldc
• The ruins of the ancient roman city of Cosilinum is a 4-hour round trip hike from our residency center at Casa Padula on an unpaved country road through the woods. The trail leads on to the San Sepulcro church which offers breathtaking views over the valley. 
  http://www.novacivitas.info/parco-archeologico-di-cosilinum.html​​

• The Eremo di San Michele can be added to the above hike or done separately and is a cave with a long history of religious use, from pre-Christianity onwards. The frescos on the walls date from the 1600s.  
  https://www.sanmicheleallegrottelle.it/ 
• The monastery of San Francesco di Assisi was constructed beginning in the 14th century. The spectacular frescos in the church date from 1715, though some earlier works are still visible. The cloister and gardens are a delight.
  www.sanfrancescopadula.it/
• And any number of walks/hikes in the countryside and mountains around town: Casacata di Frud, Monte Romito, the paleo-christian baptism pool at San Giovanni in Fonte, the monastery of Saint Francis, the valley of the mills.... let us know how much (or little) of an adventure you'd like to go on and we can give you more information.