[Apr. 2025] On the day we went to Pavia in Northern Italy with our friends from London, the cathedral alone wasn’t enough, so we headed to the Certosa di Pavia in the suburbs.
I was worried that we might not make it in time for closing time, but we managed to get in just in time.
When we entered the site, a massive white church loomed before us.
It was gorgeous, decorated with many statues and other ornaments.
The interior with its high ceilings was also full of wonderful decorations.
However, since we were pressed for time, we were told to follow the monk as he was guiding a group, so it was a shame that we couldn’t take our time looking around.
We followed the group around to the courtyard.
The Certosa di Pavia is a Carthusian monastery built at the end of the 14th century.
The Carthusian order is a sect of monks that originated in France in the 11th century and is characterised by a strict cloistered lifestyle.
The Carthusians lead a solitary life with no contact with others except on Sundays and holidays.
At one time there were as many as 24 monks in Certosa, but the Carthusians were expelled at the end of the 18th century, and now seven Cistercian monks live here.
The Cistercians are a much more open sect than the Carthusians, and they value communal living and work.
That’s why the monks also guide tourists.
The monks’ houses were lined up facing a large, modest courtyard.
It would have been nice to hear the monk’s guide from the beginning, but unfortunately we didn’t get to hear much of it.
At the end, he said, “Entry is free, but we would appreciate a donation as maintenance costs money.”
At the exit, another monk was standing with a basket, so we put in 5 euros.
The basket also contained 50 and 20 euro notes.
It was our second time here, but of course it was our friends’ first time.
I felt rushed, but my friend said, “I’m glad we didn’t give up and came.”
