Built between 1371 and 1374 by Giacomo Arcucci, Grand Camerarius of Queen Giovanna I d’Angiò, the Charterhouse is the most important architectural evidence on the island from the Angevin era. Burned and plundered by the Turkish pirates during the 16th century, it was renovated and enlarged in the 17th century. Following the expulsion of the Carthusians (1808), it became a hospice for war invalids and then prison. The military management, during the XIX century, caused to the monumental complex numerous damages. During the First World War the Certosa was used as a quarter of the XIX infantry regiment, detached on the island for its defense. In the period between the two wars, there was a need to restore the Certosa an ancient dignity, making it a cultural center able to host events related to tourism, art and culture. In 1936 the Charterhouse was granted to the regular canons of Sant’Agostino del SS.mo Salvatore Lateranense who established a school for young islanders in the cells of the large cloister and created a library with a fund of more than three thousand volumes. After the Second World War, the American troops occupied the Certosa, making it a retirement and recreation home for aviators. The ’70s gave rise to a new interest in the Carthusian complex, thanks to the intervention of Superintendent Raffaello Causa who, in 1974, he wanted to establish the Diefenbach Museum. Since then, the Charterhouse of St. James has hosted prestigious events and events of major cultural interest. (church, refectory, cloisters, chapter house, priory’s apartment), the kingdom of silence, prayer and strict enclosure, and the “lower house” which includes workplaces (warehouses, kitchens, cellars and rooms for processing agricultural products).
Giardino del Priore
Our path leads us to the Prior’s Garden. Inside this space, a sort of secret garden, coexist the garden of herbs (herbolarius) with the presence of marjoram, mint, rosemary, thyme, and the garden of simple (hortus simplicium) with sage, lavender, artemisia, wild fennel. Olive trees, pomegranates, citrus fruits, fig and vines enrich the space, respecting the Tuscan tradition.
Chiostro grande
Moving in the Great Cloister we arrive at the heart of the life of the Capuchins. This space, framed by a porch with pillars and arcades of limestone, is the place where the dwellings of the twelve Fathers are aligned. On the right side is the Prior’s apartment and guest house. On the south-east side a fake stone well overlooks the huge cistern that pushes into the subsoil at considerable depth. The cloister was built in the mid-16th century by Felice de Felice, on a design by Giovanni Antonio Dosio: these masters had already worked for the Certosa di San Martino in Naples.
Chiostro piccolo
Continuing the visit, we arrive at the small cloister built in the fifteenth century. The arches are supported by marble columns from the imperial era and capitals dating back to the 12th and 14th centuries. On one side there is the Chapter Room decorated with 18th century stucco. It is dominated by the square clock tower of the Baroque era. The importance of water for the Carthusian order is clearly visible in this place thanks to the presence of a central well. The Carthusians used the lapel wrought for the waterproofing of the vaults. This system, favoured by the existence of raw materials on site, was widely applied until the end of the 18th century. The extruded conformation of the vaulted structures, on which it was carried out the beating, allowed the natural drainage of the rainwater, which was conveyed from the channels into the special tanks. Built between 1371 and 1374 by Giacomo Arcucci, Grand Camerarius of Queen Giovanna I d’Angiò, the Charterhouse is the most important architectural evidence on the island from the Angevin era. Burned and plundered by the Turkish pirates during the 16th century, it was renovated and enlarged in the 17th century. Following the expulsion of the Carthusians (1808), it became a hospice for war invalids and then prison. The military management, during the XIX century, caused to the monumental complex numerous damages. During the First World War the Certosa was used as a quarter of the XIX infantry regiment, detached on the island for its defense. In the period between the two wars, there was a need to restore the Certosa an ancient dignity, making it a cultural center able to host events related to tourism, art and culture. In 1936 the Charterhouse was granted to the regular canons of Sant’Agostino del SS.mo Salvatore Lateranense who established a school for young islanders in the cells of the large cloister and created a library with a fund of more than three thousand volumes. After the Second World War, the American troops occupied the Certosa, making it a retirement and recreation home for aviators. The ’70s gave rise to a new interest in the Carthusian complex, thanks to the intervention of Superintendent Raffaello Causa who, in 1974, he wanted to establish the Diefenbach Museum. Since then, the Charterhouse of St. James has hosted prestigious events and events of major cultural interest. (church, refectory, cloisters, chapter house, priory’s apartment), the kingdom of silence, prayer and strict enclosure, and the “lower house” that includes workplaces (warehouses, kitchens, cellars and rooms for processing agricultural products).
Giardino del Priore
Our path leads us to the Prior’s Garden. Inside this space, a sort of secret garden, coexist the garden of herbs (herbolarius) with the presence of marjoram, mint, rosemary, thyme, and the garden of simple (hortus simplicium) with sage, lavender, artemisia, wild fennel. Olive trees, pomegranates, citrus fruits, fig and vines enrich the space, respecting the Tuscan tradition.
Chiostro grande
Moving in the Great Cloister we arrive at the heart of the life of the Capuchins. This space, framed by a porch with pillars and arcades of limestone, is the place where the dwellings of the twelve Fathers are aligned. On the right side is the Prior’s apartment and guest house. On the south-east side a fake stone well overlooks the huge cistern that pushes into the subsoil at considerable depth. The cloister was built in the mid-16th century by Felice de Felice, on a design by Giovanni Antonio Dosio: these masters had already worked for the Certosa di San Martino in Naples.
Chiostro piccolo
Continuing the visit, we arrive at the small cloister built in the fifteenth century. The arches are supported by marble columns from the imperial era and capitals dating back to the 12th and 14th centuries. On one side there is the Chapter Room decorated with 18th century stucco. It is dominated by the square clock tower of the Baroque era. The importance of water for the Carthusian order is clearly visible in this place thanks to the presence of a central well. The Carthusians used the lapel wrought for the waterproofing of the vaults. This system, favoured by the existence of raw materials on site, was widely applied until the end of the 18th century. The extruded conformation of the vaulted structures, on which it was carried out the beating, allowed the natural drainage of the rainwater, which was conveyed from the channels into the special tanks. © MINISTERO DELLA CULTURA
© MINISTERO DELLA CULTURA
CONTINUA: A visionary artist: K.W. Diefenbach 
