Carthusian Monastery of Calci, Pisa

Description

From the slopes of Monte Pisano rises the Certosa di Calci, or Charterhouse of Calci, which for centuries was the home of Carthusian monks. It is a remarkable complex of monastery buildings and a treasure trove of priceless art, and retains to this day an air of mysticism that unites earthly and heavenly realms.

The Certosa was founded in 1336 by Carthusian monks whose cloister rules obliged them to retreat to the most isolated places for prayer and meditation. It remains a very mystical place, and the architecture and spiritual symbols which adorn the monastery have a transportive effect, rendering the entire a structure a place seemingly outside of time.

The monastery’s function as a place for spiritual reflection was transformed in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, when it became a refuge of spiritual retreat for the Grand duke of Tuscany, and thus a space for both Carthusian religious dedication and all the refinement of the Florentine court.

Among the sections open to visitors are a sumptuously frescoed baroque church (used for communal prayer), monks’ quarters, cloisters, the rich Granducal forest, the Charterhouses’ pharmacy, and numerous chapels and refectories decorated with frescoes featuring sovereigns sharing their table with the monks. We aim to bring the history of these monks to life, and to reveal the secrets of this fascinating place just a few kilometers from Pisa.