Cartesian Monastery of Santa Maria Gareniano

The Cartesian monastery of Santa Maria Garegnano is located in the ancient town of Garegnano near Milan. It was founded in 1349 by order of the Archbishop of Milan Giovanni Visconti. The monastery was built outside the city so that monks could live alone and keep a vow of silence. The patron saint of the monastery was Saint Ambrose. In the XIV century, the poet Francesco Petrarch often came to this monastery from Milan. He called this monastery “paradise on earth.” In 1449, the monastery was looted, and in 1782 it was completely abolished, only the church and the parish house were transferred to the church authorities.

In 1960, the surviving buildings were handed over to Capuchin monks, who began to gradually restore the former appearance of the monastery.

The Charterhouse has preserved precious frescoes of the XVI and XVII centuries by famous artists Simone Peterzano (1578), Daniele Crespi (1629). In the house of the head there is a fresco of St. Michael by the artist Bernardo Senale of the early XVI century. Thanks to these masterpieces, the Garenian Charterhouse was renamed the Sistine Chapel of Milan.