Certosa del Galluzzo

The Certosa del Galluzzo, formally known as the Certosa di San Lorenzo, sits on a hill south of Florence and ranks among Italy's best-preserved Carthusian monasteries. It was founded in 1301 by Florentine banker Niccolò Acciaioli as a monument to his family's wealth and piety. For centuries the complex housed Carthusian monks living under one of Christianity's strictest rules of silence and enclosure — each monk inhabiting a separate cell, communal life reduced to a minimum. Since the early 20th century it has been run by Cistercian monks, who offer guided tours through Gothic cloisters and halls adorned with frescoes from the Florentine Renaissance. From the hilltop, quiet views extend across the Tuscan countryside and the rooftops of Florence.