Certosa di Calci (Pisa): Baroque Splendor

The stunning Certosa Monumentale di Calci (near Pisa – and often known simply as “la Certosa di Pisa“) was founded in 1366 for a group of Carthusian monks.

The architecture of the Pisa monastery is a veritable footprint of the Carthusian rule: the interlinking distribution of spaces and rooms reflects the rapport between the outer world and the interior world of the certosini.

This splendid photo below of the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) showcases its grandiose magnificence:

Certosa is the Italian term for “Charterhouse,” a cloistered monastery. Italy has over 20 certose, each inspired by La Grande Chartreuse founded by St. Bruno of Cologne in the mid-11th-century near Grenoble in the Chartreuse Mountains (part of the French PreAlps) of south-eastern France (photo below by Floriel):

Founded and begun in 1366 for a group of Carthusian monks, the Calci (near Pisa) Charterhouse was originally designed to house 15 ordained monks (padri certosini) and the 60 lay brothers (called the “frati conversi“) who served them, took on all manual tasks and kept the monastery running. The immense structure was largely financed by illustrious Pisan families,

Over time the property was greatly expanded and altered to become the sprawling architectural complex and stunning architectural gem that one finds there today – that Pino and I recently toured with a top guide:

Crossing the vast mid-18th-century corte d’onore (court of honor) of the Certosa Monumentale di Calci, one passes through splendid immensity:

The current appearance of this Certosa largely reflects the 17th and 18th-century expansions and restorations, taking on a primarily Baroque asthetic, most fully on stage in the ornate church that was built into the main body of the complex:

The church was erected in the mid-14th century thanks to the wealthy Pisan, Lorenzo Ciampolini, though the structure was modified in the 17th century and at that time, the polychrome marble altar was built by Giovanni Francesco Bergamini and his son, Alessandro.

In 1681 Baldassare Franceschini, artist from Volterra (whose nickname was “il Volerrano“). painted over the altar St. Bruno offering la Certosa to the Madonna and Child for protection:

The early 18th-century frescoes on the walls by Bologna artists illustrate episodes from the life of Moses inserted into rich cornices with intertwining fruits and allegorical figures:

The monogram of every Certosa – CAR for Carthusia – is intertwined with a crucifix and crowns one of the Moses frescoes:

During our superb tour with guide Emanuela, we would see the same symbol later on the door of every cella (cell) of a certosino.

The symbol reigns, too, over the entrance to the Certosa church (photo thanks to Stefano Puzzoli of Calci), in an early 18th-c. marble sculpture.

Our guide Emanuela pointed out to us the precious late 17th-/early 18th-century Carrara marble sculpture of the angelo-lettorino (“the angel-lectern”) in the center of the chapel, a gift of Lucca Carthusians at the end of the 18th century – to resolve a debt:

She also indicated the finely-sculpted wooden choir stalls along the walls where the padri (“fathers,” i.e, the ordained priests of the Carthusian order whose lives were dedicated to prayer, meditation, the reading of sacred texts) would have sat for Mass.

The other certosini – frati conversi – who opted for a simple monastic life of work (as well as prayer, taking care of all the needs of the padri certosini) did not attend Mass in the chapel but in the vestiule area outside of the chapel.

Each padre certosino was assigned by the Padre Priore to a chapel for individual prayer, meditation for periods of about 10 days and then each was assigned to another chapel. With Emanuela, we visited one, the Cappellina di San Bruno:

An early 17th-century painting by Jacopo Vignale of San Bruno – founder of the Carthusians – kneeling in contemplation reigns over the altar:

Emanuela also showed us the elegant and important Sala Capitolare (Chapter Room) where the Padre Priore presided at meetings, giving directives to the community:

Pietro Giarre’ painted the chapel in the mid-18th century with pale mauves and extensive use of gold leaf highlighting trompe l’oiel (“trick of the eye”) images – including the semblance of vaults on the ceiling – giving a generous sense of space to the elegant ambience:

Pino listened attentively as Emanuela pointed out to us the benches along the walls, straight-backed to assure maximum attention of all at the gatherings:

Pietro Giarre’ also painted in the Certosa rifettorio (refectory) in 1773. During important feast days, the padri certosini and frati conversi dined together in this imposing, grandiose sala:

Another painter, the Florentine, Bernardino Poccetti had frescoed the Last Supper (a theme obbligatory for this ambience) over the head table – in the late 16th-century:

He signed the fresco on the stool of Judas, the only figure seated outside of the feasting group who is in the act of hiding the pouch with the thirty pieces of silver, price of his betrayal:

The Giarre’ frescoes along the walls depict various scene conviviali.

Some convivial scenes are from the New Testament as for example, Mary Magdalene washing Christ’s feet with her tears,….

…and the Marriage at Cana:

Others portray the importance of the Certosa where nobility join the certosini for feasting.

In once scene, Caterina de’ Medici, queen of France in the mid-16th century, serves the monks in their refectory:

In another scene, the Tuscan grandduke, Cosimo III dei Medici, joins the monks for lunch in the refectory, clearly recognizable for the Poccetti Last Supper fresco backdropping him at the head table. Although not obliged to do so durig a feast in their refettorio, the certosini eat and drink in silence:

Naturalmente, our stupendous guided visit with Emanuela of the Certosa Monumentale di Calci had to include a visit to the cuore della vita monastica (“the heart of monastic life”), il Grande Chiostro.

The late 14th-century great cloister – funded with generous donations of Pisa nobility – had been enlarged and reconstructed in the 17th-century. The Carrara marble of the cloister was trasported via barges on the Arno River.

Emanuela pointed out to us the figure crowning the fountain in the center of the cloister: the Blessed Virgin with a halo of 7 stars, representing the first Carthusians: St. Bruno and 6 followers