THE CHARTERHOUSE OF PARMA

The Charterhouse (Certosa) was founded in 1225 by the Bishop of Spoleto, Rolando Taverna, as a monastery of the Carthusian order which occupied it for approximately 500 years. Today, however, nothing remains of the original religious complex because restoration, additions, periods of disuse and subsequent alterations have significantly modified its structure, cancelling the original architectural design.
Over the years, the Charterhouse has been utilized for a variety of purposes including tobacco manufacture, as a reform school and, since 1975, as a training centre for prison guards.