The Carthusians lived an almost eremitical existence, attempting to emulate the spiritual purity of the first desert monks.
St Bruno, Founder of the Carthusian Order
Bruno, founder of the Carthusian Order was born around 1030AD and died in 1101. He studied at Rheims in France and after education was complete, became a teacher. In 1080, he was selected as archbishop of Rheims by Pope Gregory VII, but instead took six companions to the wilderness setting of Chartreuse, to begin an eremitic existence.
Chartreuse became the Mother House of the Order, which spread throughout medieval Europe and at its height, had two hundred religious houses across the continent.
Life as a Member of the Carthusian Order
The order had its own rule - the Statues and took its name from the Chartreuse mountains in France. Each monk, unlike in orders such as the Cistercians which had an emphasis on community living, had his own cell, which was a small dwelling designed for everyday living with a space for sleeping, eating and praying. Most cells had access to an individual garden, so that the inhabitant could pray or work outdoors.
Monks would leave their cell three times a day, for morning and evening prayers and daily Mass. Members of the Order were permitted to join a weekly walk, during which they could speak to each other. Food was passed into the cell through a hatch, so avoiding human contact.
In contrast to some religious communities, particularly orders of Friars, the Carthusians did not seek to make contact with the outside world, but aimed to live as independently as possible. Visitors were seldom permitted inside the monastery and lay brothers provided practical assistance with tasks such as laundry and cooking.
Mount Grace Carthusian Priory
Mount Grace, near Osmotherley in northern England is one of the best preserved Carthusian houses in Europe. Remains of many of the monastic cells can be seen clustered around the priory church and one of the cells and gardens has been reconstructed, to show what life was like for a Carthusian monk in the Middle Ages.
The house was founded by Thomas Holland, a relative of King Richard II, in 1398 and was the last monastery to be established in Yorkshire before the Reformation. Its founder was executed during an attempt to assassinate King Henry IV in 1400 and was later buried at the priory.
Source
Jennings, Bernard Yorkshire Monasteries: Cloister, Land and People [Smith Settle, 1999]
