View of the Lay Brothers' Choir

The Lay Brothers’ Choir in the Certosa was used by the unconsecrated members of the community who provided the physical labour required for housekeeping. Its sumptuous decoration makes it one of the more outstanding of the charterhouse’s common spaces. Striking accents of this room are the frescoes by Domenico Gargiulo covering all the walls with small-figure picture panels and the elegant choir stool made by Francesco d’Arezzo. Contributing to the harmonious impression of the overall space is the stucco decor in muted colours, like the richly adorned lavabo, harkens back to Cosimo Fanzago. It was Fanzago who was also responsible for the architectural arrangement of the space, which simulates a partially open loggia whose imaginary openings are hung with tapestries.

The fresco cycle, complex in its subject matter, is dominated by Old Testament scenes supplemented by small-format events from the New Testament. The six sham tapestries above the choir stool present scenes devoted to specific lay brothers or the role of the lay brothers in the community.