Churches: Convent of Certosa in Florence (Part 1 of 2)

A few miles south of Florence, on a high hill, sits the Convent of Certosa. 

Construction of the convent started in 1341 and it was expanded over time.  The complex is fortified with high walls and it was far enough from bustling Florence to be isolated back then.  Life in the convent was very peaceful, by design. 

The convent was home to Carthusian monks for six centuries.  Some of the monks lived in almost complete silence, spending most of their time in isolation and prayer.  Meals were delivered to each monk's cell through a small opening next to the door.  They left their cells three times per day to attend mass.  On Sundays, they met in the refectory for a meal and were allowed one hour of conversation in a small cloister.     

Today, the convent is home to 20 Cistercian friars, some of whom still live in silence while others work in the convent. 

Fortunately, parts of the convent are open to the public, including the church, the cloisters, the museum and the liquor store (no joke).  

Below is a photographic tour of the Convent of Certosa in Florence. 

Entering the fortified convent was difficult by design.  A long road leads up the hill to the convent.  The very high walls provided protection against the outside world, including invaders.  Entry into the lower convent is through heavy wooden doors.  More wooden doors protect the entrance into the upper convent. 

The lower entry to the convent, with crenellated walls for defense. 

The hill where the convent sits is terraced with olive trees and fruit trees.  In the valley below were fields with crops.

The convent has beautiful views of the surrounding valley and hills. 

A long stairway leads to the upper convent. 

In the upper part of the convent are the church, cloisters and cells. 

The courtyard of the church

The convent's church is dedicated to San Lorenzo 

The church, with a Renaissance-style façade added in 1556

San Bruno, the founder of the order, adorns the façade of the church

The nave of the church

Fresco above the altar, Jesus welcomes the soul of Saint Bruno by Bernardino Poccetti (1592-1593)

The marble Baroque-style main altar from 1595

The ceiling of the church

The ceiling of the church

Each Sunday, the monks would eat a meal together in the refectory, while a fellow monk would read to them. 

The refectory

The pulpit from which one monk would read aloud

The monks' small cloister where they conversed one day per week for an hour

The heart of the convent is the great cloister pictured below.  The great cloister is extraordinarily large, with a grassy area surrounded by a covered walkway and the monks' cells.   

The Great Cloister, with a view of the well in the center

The monks' graveyard in the Great Cloister

A view of the church and bell tower from the Great Cloister

Between the arches of the Great Cloister are glazed terracotta sculptures by Giovanni della Robbia, featuring important religious figures (from 1520-1523)

The Great Cloister once had several frescoes painted by Pontormo in 1523-1525.  The originals were damaged over time by the elements and were removed in the 1950's for conservation.  The fresco pictured above is a replica of the original.   

Each monk had a cell where he spent most of his time in study and prayer.  Each cell is actually a small townhouse, containing a main room, a bedroom, a small room with a view of the valley, a garden, a cellar below and a study on the upper floor.  The accommodations, compared to monks' cells at San Marco in Florence, for example, were spacious.

The main room

The bedroom

A view of the valley from the small room in the cell

Above is a photo of brothers delivering meals to the monks.  The food was passed through a small door next to the entrance to the cell.  The pass through was constructed so that brother and monk could not easily see each other. 

Next Up:  The Museum and Distillery