Hotels & Stays · 9 min read
La Certosa di Maggiano
A working monastery, now Siena's quietest five-star
Most luxury hotels borrow the word "sanctuary" as marketing. La Certosa di Maggiano earns it literally: a working Carthusian monastery for over four centuries, secularised, nearly lost, and eventually restored into one of Tuscany's quietest five-star addresses, a fifteen-minute drive from the chaos of Palio week.
From Charterhouse to Private Refuge
The Certosa was founded in 1314, endowed by Cardinal Riccardo Petroni for a community of Carthusian monks — an order built around silence, solitary cells, and minimal contact even among its own members. That original purpose still shapes the building: the guest rooms occupy what were once individual monastic cells, arranged around a central cloister that remains the property's architectural heart.
Monastic use ended in the eighteenth century, when Grand Duke Peter Leopold's suppression of religious orders forced the sale of the complex into private hands, where it passed through owners for nearly two centuries. In 1969, Anna Grossi Recordati acquired the by-then deteriorated buildings and undertook their restoration, first as a private residence — one that reportedly hosted figures from Italian cinema in its 1970s gatherings — before its conversion into a luxury hotel in 1978. The property was for many years a Relais & Châteaux member, but it no longer appears in the Relais & Châteaux directory (checked 16 July 2026) — it should not be described as a current member.
The interiors are the work of Renzo Mongiardino, the Genoese architect and set designer known for theatrical, richly layered restorations elsewhere in Italy. His approach here favoured warmth over minimalism — antique furnishings, frescoed and vaulted ceilings, silk-dressed walls — integrated with, rather than imposed on, the monastery's original stonework.
What Staying There Is Actually Like
The property sits in its own grounds — gardens, olive groves, and a working sense of countryside — roughly 1 to 2 km from Piazza del Campo, close enough for an evening walk into the city and far enough to hear almost nothing of it. A hotel shuttle and taxi service cover the practical gap; driving yourself is straightforward, with free on-site parking.
The seventeen rooms are individually decorated rather than standardised — a deliberate consequence of their monastic-cell origins, each one different in shape, light, and outlook.
Grounds include a heated outdoor pool, a tennis court, and wellness programming — yoga, Pilates, Qi Gong, guided meditation — that leans into the building's original, contemplative purpose rather than treating it as incidental. Dining centres on La Certosa Restaurant — Chef Giovanni's seasonal Tuscan kitchen, served beneath the historic vaulted ceilings or on the terrace — with the Magnolia Bar for cocktails and aperitivo and breakfast taken under the wisteria. (Confirmed against lacertosadimaggiano.com, fetched 17 July 2026; the Michelin-era Il Canto of chef Paolo Lopriore has closed.)
Who It Suits
This is not a hotel for anyone wanting to walk out the door directly onto Piazza del Campo — that's what a stay inside the walls is for. La Certosa suits travellers who want Siena within easy reach but not underfoot: couples, guests prioritising quiet and grounds over ground-floor nightlife, and anyone treating a Tuscany stay as a genuine rest rather than a base for constant movement.
Practical Information
Location: roughly 1–2 km southeast of Piazza del Campo, Siena — a 15–25 minute walk, or a short drive/shuttle.
Category: 5-star (former Carthusian monastery; formerly Relais & Châteaux — no longer a current member).
Amenities: heated outdoor pool, tennis court, spa and wellness programming, on-site dining, private parking, helipad.
Best for: couples, quiet countryside stays, guests who want proximity to Siena without staying inside the walls — a strong pairing with Palio week for anyone who wants the spectacle by day and genuine quiet by night.
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By the Siena & Toscana editors