Pisa Charterhouse

Pisa Charterhouse, also known by its Italian name Certosa della Val Graziosa di Calci, or alternatively as Calci Charterhouse or Val Graziosa Charterhouse, is a significant former Carthusian monastery situated in the comune of Calci, approximately 10 kilometers outside the city of Pisa in Tuscany, Italy. Its history is deeply intertwined with monastic reforms and shifts in religious communities, culminating in its present-day role as a prominent museum.

History and Development

The Carthusians established their presence in Val Graziosa in 1366/67, a period marked by monastic reform under Archbishop Francesco Moricotti Prignani of Pisa. Shortly thereafter, Pope Gregory XI, a proponent of monastic reform, expelled the Benedictine monks from Gorgona Abbey and granted both the island and its estate to the Carthusians of Val Graziosa. This transfer is noted in the letters of Catherine of Siena, who visited around 1375 and wrote about the need to adapt the facilities for the Carthusian order, barring Benedictines from Gorgona.

A significant shift occurred in 1425 when political instability in the Mediterranean, and the fear of Saracen attacks, led the monks on Gorgona to abandon their island monastery. They sought refuge at Calci, bringing with them the records from Gorgona, which were subsequently published in Pisa. The monastery complex underwent substantial renovations during the 17th and 18th centuries, acquiring its distinctive Baroque appearance.

In the post-World War II era, members of convents from the Netherlands attempted to repopulate the monastery, which had sustained damage during the war. Their ambition was to potentially re-establish a Carthusian monastery in the Netherlands. However, this endeavor ultimately faltered in the 1960s due to a lack of funding, a scarcity of novices, and internal disputes. The last monks departed from Pisa Charterhouse in 1972.

Museum and Legacy

In 1981, the University of Pisa transformed the former monastery into the Pisa Museum of Natural History. The museum's origins trace back to the 16th century as a cabinet of curiosities associated with the Giardino dei Semplici. Today, it houses an impressive array of exhibits, including one of Europe's largest collections of cetacean skeletons. Particularly noteworthy is its collection of 51 meticulously crafted glass marine invertebrates created by the renowned Bohemian glass artists Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. The monastic living quarters have since been renovated and are also accessible to the public, offering a glimpse into the lives of the monks who once resided there.