Certosa di Pontignano
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The Certosa di Pontignano (literally, 'Pontignano Charterhouse'), also known as the Certosa di San Pietro ('Saint Peter's Charterhouse'), is a
History
The monastery was originally commissioned in 1343 by Bindo di Falcone Petroni, nephew of the Cardinal
In 1538, the Pope
In 1784, Grand Duke Leopold stayed at the abbey.[6] The convent continued to function with a dozen cloistered monks until the complex and lands was expropriated in 1810, with the church granted to the parish, but the lands and remaining property sold for profit.
The Certosa is now used as conference location, weddings or for stays.
Architecture and artwork
The convent has a layout characteristic of a Carthusian monastery, with a large square courtyard surrounded by small cells, each with small plots attached that were once occupied by the cloistered monks. A second courtyard was occupied by the lay apprentices and converts into the order. A highly decorated church and some meeting areas, including a refectory completed the structure.[7][8]
The church is remarkable for the frescoes (1579) covering walls and ceiling. The frescoes depict events in the Life of Christ, his mother, and History of the Carthusian order. For example, near the entry are depictions of St Bruno receives the rules from St Peter and a Glory of St Bruno by father Stefano Cassiani, a carthusian friar who completed the decoration around 1663. Along the nave walls are frescoes depicting the Life of St Peter and Life of St Bruno interspersed with Saints, Evangelists, and the Fathers of the Church. On the ceiling, are stories of the New Testament, including life of the Virgin, Passion of Christ, and Life of St John the Baptist, attributed to a set of Mannerist artists from Tuscany, including Casolani, Vincenzo Rustici, Orazio Porta (St Peter heals the sick), and even Poccetti himself (Decapitation of St John the Baptist and Saints Cosmo, Damian, Stephen, Lawrence, John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist). Poccetti also painted a main altarpiece for the church.
Other sources add
References
- ^ Tourism in Tuscany, official site, entry on Certosa/
- ^ Cenni storico-artistici di Siena e suoi suburbii, by Ettore Romagnoli, (1840) page 73.
- ^ Diario sanese opera di Girolamo Gigli, Volume 1, by Girolamo Gigli, page 157.
- ^ Le chiese d'Italia dalla loro origine sino ai nostri giorni opera, Volume 18, (1864), by Giuseppe Cappelletti, page 415-416.
- ^ Girolamo Gigli, page 49.
- ^ Cenni storico-artistici di Siena e suoi suburbii, by Ettore Romagnoli, (1840) page 73-74.
- ^ Luoghi della Fede Regione Toscana, entry on church
- ^ Tourism in Tuscany entry on Certosa/
- ^ Cenni storico-artistici di Siena e suoi suburbii, by Ettore Romagnoli, (1840) page 73-74.