Certosa di Firenze
Fourteenth-century Carthusian monastery on Monte Acuto at Galluzzo, visitable on guided tours of about an hour through cloisters, church and chapter house.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Certosa del Galluzzo was founded in the first half of the 14th century at the wish of Niccolò Acciaiuoli (1310–1365), a member of one of the richest Florentine banking families and a trusted man of the Angevin court of the Kingdom of Naples. The monastic complex, dedicated to Saint Lawrence the martyr, stands on the summit of Monte Acuto, also called Monte Santo, between the Greve and Ema streams, and was completed and embellished until the 16th century, with works continuing in the following centuries. Among those who worked there were Orcagna and Giovanni della Robbia; Pontormo found refuge there during the plague of 1523 and painted the frescoes of the Passion of Christ for the Chiostro Grande, now preserved in the picture gallery of Palazzo Acciaiuoli, which overlooks the entrance.
The complex comprises the church, the chapter house with the funerary monument of the prior Leonardo Buonafé, the sacristy, the refectory, the cloisters and the monks' cells: it was designed to house twelve monks in strict enclosure, later rising to eighteen, and some lay brothers. In the Chiostro Grande there is a cycle of 66 busts by Giovanni della Robbia.
In 1810 Napoleon suppressed the monastery, which the Carthusians were able to reoccupy only in 1819; after 1866 the monks remained as custodians of the national monument. In 1958 the Carthusians left the Certosa and were replaced by the Cistercians of Casamari, who for sixty years kept it alive and opened it to visitors. Since December 2017 it has been looked after by the Comunità di San Leolino.
Highlights
- Chiostro Grande with 66 busts by Giovanni della Robbia
- Chapter house with the funerary monument of Leonardo Buonafé
- Church, refectory, cloisters and monks' cells
- Palazzo Acciaiuoli with frescoes by Pontormo
- Guided visit of about one hour
Permanent exhibition
- Visita guidata alla Certosa – Guided route of about one hour through the monastic spaces: church, chapter house, sacristy, refectory, cloisters and cells.
- Operated by
- Comunità di San Leolino
- Visitors per year
- approx. 10,000
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The Certosa stands on the summit of Monte Acuto, near the village of Galluzzo, south of Florence.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | For visits of up to 5 people no booking is required: simply arrive a few minutes before the tour. Groups of 5 people or more book by filling in the form on the website, stating the day, number of participants, time and a telephone number; the booking is valid after confirmation. |
