Pisa - La Certosa di Calci

The Certosa di Pisa, or more properly the Certosa di Calci, is located in the province of Pisa, in the municipality of Calci, in a flat area on the slopes of the Pisan mountains known as the "Val Graziosa." A former Carthusian monastery, it currently houses the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa. The Certosa is about 10 km from the city of Pisa and was once part of the city's municipality. Its current appearance is Baroque in style and consists of a large internal courtyard immediately after the entrance, dedicated to communal life and a meeting point with the outside world. Beyond the buildings surrounding the courtyard are the cells, vegetable gardens, and more private and quiet spaces, suited to the Carthusian rule of life. It was by decision of the Archbishop of Pisa, Francesco Moricotti, that the Certosa was founded on May 30, 1366, in the Val Graziosa di Calci. The convent later assumed political importance, particularly after the annexation of the ancient Benedictine monastery on the island of Gorgona in 1425. In the second half of the 15th century, Florentine artists settled in Pisa to undertake works for the Opera del Duomo. However, the most important works were completed between the 17th and 18th centuries. The complex is accessed through a 17th-century vestibule, crowned by a statue of Saint Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian Order; to the right is the Chapel of Sebastian, originally reserved for women, and to the left is the women's guesthouse, now the ticket office. The large longitudinal courtyard leads to the sanctuary. Opposite the entrance is the Baroque façade of the church, set on a podium with a double staircase, the work of architect Nicola Stassi. Note the statue of the Virgin in Glory at the top. The interior, dating to the 17th century, consists of a single hall lined with wooden stalls for the monks; a wall inlaid with polychrome marble separates the area for the lay brothers. The painted wall decorations, featuring Stories from the Old Testament by Bolognese artists Antonio and Giuseppe Rolli, began at the end of the 17th century; the frescoes in the dome are by Stefano Cassiani of Lucca, who also painted the paintings on the sides, behind the altar, and between the windows. The high altar was designed by Giovan Francesco Bergamini and completed in 1686 by his son Alessandro. It houses a canvas by Baldassarre Franceschini, known as Volterrano, depicting Saint Bruno offering the Certosa of Pisa to the Madonna, from 1681. The church leads to the sacristy, surrounded by large wall cabinets, the Chapel of the Relics, and the various chapels where each monk celebrated private daily Mass. The chapel of San Ranieri houses an 18th-century painting by Pisan artist Giovan Battista Tempesti, depicting Saint Ranieri, the patron saint of Pisa. The chapel of San Bruno contains a canvas depicting the saint by Jacopo Vignali. The chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary was frescoed by Giuseppe Maria Terreni in the late 18th century. Among the most interesting rooms in the monastery is the Grand Ducal Guesthouse, so called because it was reserved for the sovereigns of Tuscany. It features exquisite stuccoes by Somazzi and frescoes with allegorical figures by Pietro Giarrè. The current refectory is the result of the transformation of the original 14th-century space: among the oldest examples is the fresco of the Last Supper by Bernardino Poccetti (1597), while the remaining wall decorations, completed in 1773, are by Pietro Giarrè. The monks' cells, each conceived as a residential unit composed of several rooms, open onto the large 17th-century cloister, with a monumental octagonal fountain at its center. Among the monastery's many rooms are the Prior's apartment, the extensive library, the historical archive, and the pharmacy. The guesthouse houses the convent's picture gallery, which houses numerous valuable paintings, including the collection of the Borghini family of Calci. The west wing of the Certosa houses the University of Pisa's Museum of Natural History and Territorial History.