Florence Charterhouse

About

Florence Charterhouse (Certosa di Firenze or Certosa del Galluzzo) is a charterhouse, or Carthusian monastery, located in Galluzzo, a suburb of Florence, in central Italy. The building is a walled complex located on Monte Acuto, at the point of confluence of the Ema and Greve rivers. The charterhouse was founded in 1341 by the Florentine noble Niccolò Acciaioli, Grand Seneschal of the Kingdom of Naples, but continued to expand over the centuries as the recipient of numerous donations. The monastery was also named "Palazzo agli Studi" (Palace to the Studies) as Acciaioli wanted to build a school of theology and philosophy attached to it.

In 1958 the monastery was taken over by Cistercian monks. The chapter house now holds five lunettes with frescoes by Pontormo from the cloister, damaged by exposure to the elements. The charterhouse inspired Le Corbusier for his urban projects. The monastery houses the International Society for the Study of Medieval Latin Culture (Società Internazionale per lo Studio del Medioevo Latino, SISMEL), an Italian non-profit cultural institute.