Certosa di Galluzzo

Lonely Planet review

Dominating the village of Galluzzo, about 3km south along Via Senese from Porta Romana, is this quite remarkable 14th-century monastery. The Carthusian order of monks once had 50 monasteries in Italy. Of these, only two are now inhabited by monks of that order. The Certosa passed into Cistercian hands in 1955.

The Certosa can only be visited with a guide (reckon on about 45 minutes) who will take you first to the Gothic hall of the Palazzo degli Studi, now graced by a small collection of art, including five somewhat weathered frescoes by Pontormo. It is a little depressing to think that, until Napoleon's troops looted the place in the early 19th century, more than 500 important works of art graced the monastery. The Basilica di San Lorenzo, with 14th-century origins, has a Renaissance exterior. To one side of it is the Colloquio, a narrow hall with benches. Here the Carthusian monks were permitted to break their vow of silence once a week (they got a second chance on Mondays when they were allowed to leave the monastery grounds for a gentle stroll). You end up in the Chiostro Grande, the biggest of the complex's three cloisters. It is flanked by 18 monks' cells and decorated with busts from the della Robbia workshop.