During the session, there is no time to make wonderful cultural trips to Florence, but Florence is below, near, inviting, unique. We will not make trips to Florence, we will do more: we will do what we do best, we will participate in this immense beauty with our concerts in famous places and hidden places in the most beautiful Florence. A sign of continuity and gratitude for the men who have made Florence one of the most beautiful cities in the world. monk by his dress! They were often people who came from simple contexts and without any Firenze, Pinacoteca della Certosa education. Despite the inability of Acciaiuoli’s children, other means were found to continue the expansion of the Monastic complex. In the 14th century the large Cloister was added, while between the 16th and the 17th century, several maintenance and embellishment works were completed. Still in this period, several works of art were commissioned, some of which are still visible. Others, unfortunately, were lost following the confiscation of the Napoleonic period (1810). In 1872 the Monastery was abolished via a Royal Decree. the Cistercian monks were able to return in 1895. In 1958 the Carthusian monks were replaced by the Cistercian order of Monks. PINACOTECA Accordig to Giorgio Vasari’s famous Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, the great Tuscan painter Jacopo Carucci (1494-1557), The Galluzzo Charterhouse (also known as Florence Charterhouse) is an old Cistercian known as Pontormo, took refuge here to monks’ monastery built after 1341. The Chartreuse is on Mount Acuto - also called Monte escape the black plague during the epidemic Santo - at the confluence between the river Ema and Greve, in a location that is by no that swept across Florence, then under the means casual. It had been chosen for the altitude and because it was surrounded by two Medici family, from 1522 to 1523. He stayed rivers. Naturally, the main reason of the choice was to guarantee an isolated location inside the beautiful abbey because, on top for the friars, but there is also a more practical motive: the elevated position enabled of being usually slow to complete his works, the Cistercian monks to defend themselves Jacopo liked the Charterhouse’s solitude. against any attacks. The works Vasari is talking about are the It is one of the most important Italian “Scenes from the Passion” frescoes, Cistercian Abbeys. Its construction is due inspired by block prints by Albrecht Dürer mainly to the will of Niccolo’ Acciaiuoli, and painted for the main cloister’s lunettes. Great Seneschal of the Kingdom of Naples. Masterpieces that today are kept in the Construction work began in 1341 and, by monastery’s gallery (Pinacoteca). ‘Ciclo wish of the financier, besides the monastic della Passione’ which includes ‘l’Orazione centre it should also have included a school to nell’orto’, ‘Gesù davanti a Pilato’, ‘Salita al educate young people. Unfortunately, when Calvario’, ’Deposizione della Croce’ and in 1365 Niccolò Acciaiuoli died, this part of ‘Resurrezione’. At the centre of the same the complex had not yet been completed exhibition space there is also a valuable and his heirs, alas, squandered his fortune wooden crucifix dating back to the 1500s. to the point that it was no longer possible to continue the work. The other part of his Le Corbusier was very fond of the Galluzzo project, that of monastic life, was instead accomplished. According to Niccolò Acciaiuoli’s Charterhouse as well. He carefully studied the plan, it should have been a monastery, typically Carthusian, which could accommodate monks’ cells and living quarters. Professor about a dozen friars, a priory and some lay brothers. The latter were friars responsible for Eugenio Gentili Tedeschi has underscored the more humble jobs, and often, despite wearing a robe, they had not taken the vows. that the sketches drawn by the great French In short, in their case, you could judge a book by its cover – or, as Italian says, judge the architect during his visit (an important moment in his life) bear testimony to his growing interest for organized space, and were the seed of his later studies on housing units, from Maison Dom-Ino to Immeubles-Villas; they were the starting point for the process that would lead to Unité d’Habitation, and find a noteworthy conclusion in the Convent of La Tourette . ACCIAIUOLI PALACE. It is the first building you see once you arrive and you cannot, therefore, not notice the massive crenellated block out of which it is built. It was designed in 1355 and all in all looks quite like a fortress. It should have become the ‘Palace of Studies’ that Niccolò Acciaiuoli had wished for, but, as we have seen, the children who had falled into disgrace failed to complete the project. CHURCH OF SAN LORENZO. The construction work began in 1341 and ended in 1394, although the structure was modified later on in the 16th century. Originally there was a part dedicated to the cloistered monks and another part for all the other people. You can also notice two different spaces that are due to the different periods of construction: the facade and the chorus date back to the period between 1550 and 1558, and the part reserved for monks is in the 14th century part. The presbytery and the chorus of monks hold the primacy for antiquity. The stone facade was built later on and the transformations that took place Firenze, throughout the 1500s gave the whole building an appearance that resembles Mannerist architecture. The marble polycarbonate floor and the altar of 1595 are also admirable. Convento di S. Salvatore al Monte SANTA MARIA NUOVA ORATORY. dates back to 1404. It houses a beautiful 14th-century The former church and monastery wooden choir, some paintings and gorgeous stain-glass windows. From the chapel you can buildings date back to 1417, when Luca access the crypt where the grave of Niccolo’ Acciaiuoli is located. di Jacopo del Tosa, a member of an THE JOINT SPACES OF MONASTERY LIFE: PARLOUR, CHAPTER ROOM, REFECTORY AND affluent family, bequeathed one of his CLOISTERS. The parlour was the place where the friars could gather to spend leisure properties to the Minorites’ community time together and talk to each other. This was more or less an hour a week – which is based on the Mons Florentinus. A small hard to believe, for in one week there are 168 hours and only one of these could be spent oratory dedicated to saint Francis interacting with brothers... but this was the tough rule at the cloister! The parlour is located stood next to the present building. In to the left of the Chartreuse of Florence church and is a rather small environment, which 1456, it was torn down on the orders has remained essentially unchanged since 1559. Inside there is a glass terracotta work by of a Fiorentine nobleman, Castello Andrea della Robbia’s workshop and a bas-relief that is attributed to Donatello. From the Quarratesi, who undertook to enlarge parlour you access the cloister, the small cloister of the converse, the refectory and the the originai construction. chapter room. The refectory is located along the corridor that connects the big cloister to After his death, Lorenzo de’ Medici had the one of the lay brothers. The door is decorated with a lunette by Andrea della Robbia. a new plan in mind: the Franciscan It was used for lunches of holidays, which took place in silence by listening to the word of church on the Fiorentine hillsides would the Lord. The Foresteria faces the square and was intended to welcome guests, including become the ideai acropolis of a New illustrious ones. The Chapter Room, so called because every day a chapter of the rule was Athens, as Florence was supposed to be at that time. read. In collaboration with his favourite CLOISTERS. The large Cloister, also called the Renaissance cloister, was built between architect Giuliano da Sangallo, 1491 and 1520 and is accessed from the Church. On the arcade there are 66 medallions he entrusted the project to Simone by Giovanni della Robbia. From here you can access the 18 cells of the monks, all del Pollaiolo, called “II Cronaca”, characterized by the same structure: they were two storey cells and included a room to responsible for the building yard and sleep, one to pray, a small garden, a cellar and a study upstairs. Why were there so many for interpreting Lorenzo’s idea. rooms? Since they had to be locked in there all the time, they had to at least be given some Pollaiolo would just add severity to space to move about. They only went out on Sundays and on public holidays for lunch and the architectural elements in strict to reach the parlour. The lay brothers’ Cloister consists of two overlaid loggias which open compliance with the principle of onto a small refectory. The cells of the lay brothers, who were allowed to go out and walk Franciscan austerity. 1503 was the year freely around the abbey, were smaller and included a bedroom and a toilet. They didn’t of the solemn translation - from the spend much time in them, for the most of the time they were gardening, cleaning, cooking castle of Montauto to this church - of and shopping. All they needed was a bed where to sleep. the frock supposed to be worn by saint Francis during his retirement on Mount Verna, at time of his stigmatisation. The frock was returned to Mount Verna’s Sanctuary in the year 2000. Upon completion, the new church dedicated to the Saviour was officially consecrated by Bishop Benedetto Paganotti.